The Blizzard Competition
by rachelxo16
Summary: You would never think that Ally Dawson would be a snowboarder. But she is and she happens to be a great one. Every year she heads to Colorado to compete in The Blizzard Competition alongside her teammates. The only problem is that Austin and Dez have no clue that she does this. What happens when they find out? Story is much better than the summary. Give it a read.
1. Chapter 1

Ally POV

"Ally, are you excited for Winter Break?" My best friend, Trish asked me.

"I'm stoked. Colorado is gonna be awesome!"

Every Winter Break, Trish and I head to Colorado for the Blizzard snowboarding competition that I always compete in. Now I know what you're thinking, Ally Dawson a snowboarder? Well it's true. I've been snowboarding for years and I love it. I consider snowboarding a passion but it's not the most important thing in my life. Music is and always will be. But snowboarding is a close second.

The only person that knows I snowboard is Trish, and my dad of course. But neither Austin or Dez, our other best friends, know and I don't plan on telling them. It's just something I like to keep to myself and Trish understands that. That's why she helps me keep this secret.

"Hey guys!" Austin greeted as he walked into Sonic Boom alongside Dez. Did I mention we were in Sonic Boom? No? Well now you know.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked.

"Dez and I were just talking about Winter Break. We're so excited." Austin beamed as he talked.

"So what are you guys doing over Winter Break?" Dez asked. Trish is gonna tell them a lie since I'm a bad liar.

"Ally and I are going to California and staying with Jason."

Jason's my older brother who's twenty-one. He does live in California so it wasn't a complete lie, but Jason is meeting us in Colorado so he can watch me compete.

"Aw, guys!" Austin whined like a five year old. "I thought we were gonna spend Winter Break together?"

"Sorry, Austin, you know we stay in California every Winter Break." I told him. Wow, my lying actually got better.

"I know, but I was hoping this year would be different."

"Well it's not." Trish said, harshly, I might add.

"Well, when do you guys leave?" Dez asked.

I bit my lip. "Tomorrow." I said quietly. I looked at Austin who look kind of sad and disappointed. I hated seeing him like that.

"Well how long are you gonna be gone?"

"Three weeks."

"So you're not gonna be here for Christmas!?" He asked rather loudly.

"I'm sorry, Austin, but I can't change my plans. But we can still talk over the phone and Skype." I suggested. He smiled and he didn't look that upset anymore.

"I guess, but you better bring me a souvenir."

I playfully rolled my eyes and nodded. "Sure thing."

We hung out at Sonic Boom for a few hours before Austin and Dez had to leave.

"Have a good trip, guys." Austin said as we got into a group hug.

"Thanks." I told him. "I'll text you when I get there."

"Sounds good." We said our last goodbye's and watched our two best friends walk out of the store.

"Trish, I feel kind of bad." I admitted. She looked at me with shock written across her face. "I feel like I should them the truth."

"B-but we've been keeping this a secret for years and now you want to tell them?" I nodded. "What changed?"

I shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I just feel bad that we're leaving them."

"Als, we do this every year and you've never felt guilty."

"I know." I said quietly. I locked up Sonic Boom before heading home. Trish is staying over at my place so we could head straight towards the Airport in the morning.

We collapsed onto my bed the second we walked into my room. "Trish, remind me to text Rydel when we get to Colorado tomorrow."

Rydel Lynch is my friend back in Colorado who's also competing in the Blizzard competition. Rydel, along with her four brothers, Riker, Rocky, Ross, and Ryland, are all on a snowboarding team along with me. Our team's called The Royals, and I don't want to brag or anything, but we win every year. I just can't wait to get to Colorado.

I've known the Lynches for years because I used to live in Colorado back when I was a kid. I moved to Miami when I was nine but we stayed really close. They're actually the reason that I love snowboarding. They taught me everything I know and it's because of them that I'm a great snowboarder.

"Sure thing, Als. So quick question."

"What?" She turned over so she was on her stomach and she propped herself on her elbows.

"Do you like, Austin?" My jaw dropped and my eyes widened.

"W-why would you think I l-like, Austin?" I stuttered. Damn.

"Because you want to tell him the truth and you've never wanted to do that before, so what's up?"

I sighed and shrugged. I got off my bed and started pacing. "I don't know, Trish. Would it be bad if I said that I never stopped liking, Austin?"

Her eyes widened, she jumped off my bed and grabbed my shoulders. "Are you saying that even after you guys broke up, you still liked him?" I nodded sheepishly. "Ally! This is huge!" She started shaking me while her grip on my shoulders tightened.

"Trish, giving me a headache." I told her. She stopped shaking me and gave me an apologetic look.

"So are you gonna tell Austin that you still like him?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so. I don't want to ruin our friendship and that'll happen if I tell him."

"But Als, Austin likes you too."

I scoffed. "I highly doubt that."

"Girl, you're so oblivious."

"Whatever, Trish. Let's just go to bed since we have to wake up at six."

"But I need my beauty sleep." She whined. Geez, does everyone have to whine?

We got into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

"We're here!" Trish exclaimed as we hopped off the plane.

We're officially in Colorado and I'm so happy. Colorado's like a second home to me and the Lynches are like a second family to me. Since we're gonna be here for three weeks, Trish, my dad, and I are gonna be staying with the Lynches. We always stay there whenever we come here.

We grabbed our luggage from luggage claim and walked outside so we could hail a cab.

"So when is Jason coming?" I asked my dad as the cab started driving toward the Lynches.

"He should be here by tomorrow. I'll pick him up from the airport while you're at the slopes."

"Sounds good." I took my phone out of my pocket and started texting Rydel.

_Hey Delly! I'm here! ;) ~Ally_

She responded almost immediately.

_OMG! Can't wait to see ur pretty little face! ;) ~Delly_

_Diddo 3 ~Ally_

I shoved my phone back in my pocket and leaned my head against the window. The Lynches live almost an hour away from the airport so I'm able to take a little nap before we get there.

"Ally?" I felt myself being shaken awake and when I opened my eyes, Trish was standing outside the cab leaning against my side of the cab with the door open. "We're here, come on."

I grinned and ran towards the house. "Sure, your dad and I will get our luggage!" Trish shouted. I ignored her because I was too excited. I rang the doorbell and waited impatiently for the door to open.

"ALLY!" Rydel shouted as she opened the door and saw me. She wrapped me in a bone crushing hug and I'm pretty sure one of my lungs collapsed.

"Delly…can't….breathe." I managed to get out. She released her grip on me and laughed.

"Sorry." She apologized. I waved her off.

"Als, I know you're excited, but you could've helped." Dad said as he and Trish walked up to us carrying our luggage. I apologized as they walked into the house.

"Boys, get down here now!" Rydel shouted up the stairs. Seconds later I heard footsteps running down the stairs. And yet again, I was wrapped in a bone crushing hug. But this time it was a bone crushing group hug.

"Am I invisible here?" Trish asked playfully. I rolled my eyes as the guys released me from the hug and moved onto Trish. They pulled away after a few seconds.

"So Ally, you excited to get back on the slopes?" Rocky asked me as he ruffled my hair.

"Okay first, yes I am, and second, never touch my hair." I tried to keep a straight face on, but failed miserably. "Oh, I forgot to text Austin." I remembered. "Be right back." I hurried off to Rydel's room where Trish and I always stay.

_Hey Austin, We're here! I miss you and Dez! ~Als _

_We miss you too, Als! Skype later? ~Austin_

_Sure! G2G ~Als_

_L8tr, Als ~Austin_

I slid my phone back in my pocket and made my way back downstairs. Everyone was now sitting in the living room and of course they were no more seats on the couch. "You guys suck." I mumbled. I walked over towards Rydel and sat on her lap.

"Comfy?" She asked laughing. I nodded.

"Als, you texted Austin?" Trish asked.

"Yeah, we're gonna Skype later." Everyone looked at each other and then back at me. I was very confused. "What?" I asked.

"You like Austin, don't you?" Rydel asked wiggling her eyebrows.

"Uh, w-what?" Damn stuttering.

"Ally, anytime you stutter it means you're hiding something." Ross states. "So is Rydel right?" I blush and nod.

"Alright, let's change the subject." Trish said, noticing how uncomfortable I was getting. Got to love Trish. I looked around the room and noticed that my dad wasn't around.

"Where'd my dad go?"

"He's in the guestroom." Riker told me. I nodded. "And before you ask, our parents are at work."

"Damn, how'd you know I was gonna ask that?"

"You're very predictable, Als." Ross commented. I glared at him. He smirked and raised his hands up in surrender.

We were hanging out in the living room for a while until I got a text from Austin saying to go on Skype so I excused myself from the guys and made my way upstairs towards Rydel's room. I opened up my laptop and logged onto Skype and called Austin. He answered a few seconds later.

"Hey, Als!"

"Hey, Austin!

"How's California?" I hated lying to him but I can't let him know I'm in Colorado.

"It's great, I'm just tired."

He gave me a sympathetic look. "Is little Ally tired?" He asked in a baby voice.

"Yes she is." I responded in the same baby voice.

We talked for about half an hour until his mom interrupted our conversation. "Austin, can we talk?" She asked. He turned around so he was looking at her.

"Sure, mom." He turned towards me again. "I got to go, Als."

"I know, I'll talk to you later."

We said our goodbye's before I logged off and shut my computer.

"How was your talk with Austin?" Trish asked as I walked into the living room.

"It was good."

I reclaimed my spot on Rydel's lap but had to get off almost immediately because Mark and Stormie, their parents walked in.

"Ally, Trish!" Stormie wrapped us in a mini group hug and was practically in tears. Stormie's like a mom to me since my mom died when I was little. I barely remember my mom but having Stormie in my life makes me feel like I have a mom.

"Hey Stormie." We both greeted in unison. "Hey Mark."

"Hey girls."

"Where's Lester?" Mark asked.

"I'm assuming he's asleep right now." I told them. They chuckled.

"So kids," Stormie started. She turned towards her kids as they gave her their attention. "I talked to your cousin and invited him and his friend to stay with us, is that alright?"

"Are you kidding? That's awesome!" Riker practically squealed.

"Yeah, we love having Austin here." Ross said.

"Wait, what!?" Trish and I asked in unison. "Austin who?" I asked hoping it's not the Austin I know.

"Austin Moon."

Oh crap.

**How did you guys like the first chapter of The Blizzard Competition? Review/Favorite/Follow please! :) **


	2. Chapter 2

Ally POV

"Did you just say, Austin Moon?" Trish asked since I was in too much shock to say anything.

"Yeah, why?" Rydel asked. All eyes were on the two of us and frankly, I didn't care.

Trish ignored her and turned her attention to me. "You okay, Als?" I shook my head.

"He's gonna hate me when he finds out we're not in California." I said quietly.

"Wait, that's the Austin you were talking about?" Rocky asked and I nodded. "Well that's a coincidence."

"More like bad luck." I muttered.

I sat on the couch and put my head in my hands. I felt a hand on my back and looked up to see Trish.

"How mad do you think he's gonna be?" I asked quietly. She shrugged.

"Maybe he won't be mad at all." I stood up and started pacing.

"Trish, I've never lied to him before and when he finds out about this, he's gonna hate me." I said quickly.

"Als, stop it." Rydel said grabbing my shoulders forcing me to stop pacing. "I know my cousin and he could never hate you." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I nodded and prayed that she was right.

"I'm gonna head on up to bed." I told everyone. I didn't wait for a response or comment, I just ran upstairs. I showered, changed into my pajamas, and got into the extra bed that was put in Rydel's room.

I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep but couldn't no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't stop thinking about Austin's arrival. So many questions rang through my head like, "Is he gonna yell at me when he finds out I lied?" Or "Will he be disappointed in me?"

I don't know how, but I managed to fall asleep.

* * *

I woke up really early for some reason and when I noticed that everyone was still asleep, I knew what I was gonna do.

I changed into my snowboarding gear so I could be ready before I woke everybody up. I know Mark and Stormie left for work already and my dad left to go pick up Jason. I grabbed one of the Lynches guitars, plugged it into the amp, and hit the chords. There was a bunch of screaming and al lot of them were girly screams.

Since I was in the living room, everyone started running in that direction.

"Morning guys!" I chirped and slightly laughed when I saw everyone send daggers my way.

"Why the hell did you do that!?" Trish yelled. Yeah, she's really not a morning person.

"Because I'm ready to head to the slopes and everyone was sleeping. Now go get ready." There was a bunch of mumbles and groans but they did as ordered.

I sat on the couch and waited for everyone but Rydel was the first one done.

"You would think of the boys would be first." I commented. She nodded in agreement. "So when is Austin coming?" I asked nervously.

"Tonight." I nodded. I am so nervous and I hate being nervous. "Als, he won't be mad at you."

"You don't know that. I've never kept secrets from him and when he finds out that I've been keeping this from here for years, he's gonna be so pissed." She wrapped her arms around me trying to calm me down which actually worked.

"Alright, let's go." Riker said as everyone started piling into the living room. "Bye the way, Ally, we'll get you back for waking us up at seven in the morning." He gave me a pointed look but I just laughed.

"Bring it."

When we got to the slopes, I couldn't help but smile. I really missed snowboarding and believe it or not, sometimes I like it a little more than Music. But Music is still my number one.

"Let's start practicing before The Clouds get here." Ryland said.

The Clouds are one of the other teams competing in The Blizzard Competition but out of the other teams competing, we hate them the most. Two years ago, the leader of The Clouds, Eric, sabotaged Riker's board and let's just say that Riker ended up breaking his arm. That's why we hate them but we have no clue why they hate us.

"Ready, Ally?" Rydel asked. I smiled and nodded.

I went in and did the first trick that came to mind. I did an Ollie which was one of the first tricks that I learned. The next trick I did was an inverted 360 and I was actually surprised I landed safely because I haven't done that trick in a while.

"Awesome job, Als!" Rydel exclaimed, giving me a high-five.

"Thanks, it felt really good to do that again." I grinned and laid my snowboard on the ground.

"Let Rocky show you how it's done." Rocky said as he went in. He's always like this whenever we snowboard so I expected it.

He did a McTwist, which is a forward-flipping backside 540 and then an invert. When he landed safely in front of us, he smirked.

"Show off." Trish mumbled. Rocky started fist pumping the air and I couldn't help but laugh.

"You're so weird Rocky." I said.

"And that's why you don't have a girlfriend." Ross added. I shoved him.

"Don't be mean to your brother."

"Yeah!" Rocky exclaimed.

"Only I can." I said.

"Yeah!" He paused. "Hey!" I shook my head and laughed at him.

We spent a couple of hours snowboarding, well, all of us except for Trish since she doesn't snowboard. We decided to head to the small café they have by the Lynches house and grab some hot chocolate.

"At least we practiced without having to see The Clouds." Riker said as he and Ross handed us our drinks.

I nodded as I took a sip. The nice, hot liquid felt so good since it was so cold out. Snowboarding took my mind off of Austin's arrival which was going to be tonight and I'm not really looking forward to it. I mean yes, he's my best friend, but I'm afraid he's going to stop being my friend because I've been lying to him. I knew I should've told him the truth from the beginning.

"ALLY!" Everyone shouted which earned some stares from other customers.

"What?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"We've been trying to get your attention for a couple of minutes." Trish told me. "What were you thinking about?"

I waved her off. "Nothing, don't worry about it." It looked like she was about to say something else but my phone went off which interrupted her. I looked at the Caller I.D. which read Jason.

**Jason**/_Ally_

_"Hey, Jason!"_

**"Hey, Als! Where are you?"**

_"The café by the Lynches. Wait, are you here!?"_

**"Yeah, stay where you are."**

_"Alright, bye!"_

I hung up and squealed like a mouse. I know that sounds really weird but that's what I sounded like.

"Jason's here?" Trish asked. I nodded.

A few minutes later, Jason walked in and I practically tackled him to the ground.

"Nice to see you to, sis." I laughed at him and hugged him tight.

"I really missed you." I whispered against his chest.

"I really missed you too, Als."

You see, I don't get to see Jason a lot. Maybe a couple of times during the year. His job takes up a lot of his time. He's actually a screenwriter so I'm not surprised that I don't get to see him often. But he always comes to see me compete at The Blizzard competition and for that I'm so grateful. Jason and I are really close despite the fact that we live far away from each other.

After our hug session ended, he pulled up a chair at the table we were currently sitting at grabbed my hot chocolate.

"Hey!" I whined. Man, I'm hanging around people who whine too much. "Get your own hot chocolate."

"No thanks, I'm good." He put the cup down and patted my head. I tried to glare at him but ended up smiling. "So how was practice?" He asked all of us snowboarders.

"Great!" "Awesome!" "I rocked it!" We all replied.

"Any sign of The Clouds?" He asked. We shook our heads no. But then I nodded when they walked in.

"Well look who we have here." Eric said. "Ally Dawson back for the competition?"

"Leave me alone, Eric." I growled. I know I'm not a mean person, but when it comes to him and his girlfriend, Jamie, I lose it. Jamie and I used to be friends when I lived here, but then she turned into a bitch. She tried sabotaging my snowboard but luckily Ross caught her before she could do any real damage.

"You guys ready to lose this year?" Eric asked. He smirked and stared at me. Got to say, his stare is creepy.

"You ask us this question every year and yet we always win. Now, do you mind leaving us alone?" Riker asked kindly although I could see it in his eyes that he really wanted to punch Eric.

"Whatever losers." They walk out of the café and all I want to do is scream. I can't stand them!

"Ally, let go of your cup." Jason told me. I look down at my cup to see that my hand is squeezing the life, or should I say hot chocolate, out of it.

"Oops." I mumbled. "I just can't stand them, especially Jamie."

"Trust me Als, we know." Rydel said softly. I took a deep breath in order to calm myself down. I always do that when I see Eric or Jamie.

When we got home, I literally bolted upstairs so I could use the shower first. I laughed when I heard a bunch of groans coming from the living room.

Once I was done with my shower, I put on a pair of sweatpants, a baggy t-shirt, and threw my hair up into a messy bun. It's not like I'm trying to dress nicely for Austin and Dez's arrival.

I still can't stop thinking about what's going to happen when they get here. I mean I know Rydel said that he won't be mad at me, but somehow I don't believe her. You know it's kind of funny. I should've known that Austin was related to them seeing as how Austin and Ross look like twins. I must be pretty stupid if I just realized that now.

I decided to relax in my temporary room for a while and work on some songs for Austin. I grabbed my songbook and went straight to work.

_Every day-day-day,_

_I fall for you a little more-oh-ore,_

_And every night-night-night,_

_I dream of you so beautiful-uh-ul,_

_Yeah-eh,_

_And every time we laugh, _

_I see the sparks fly, _

_And every time you blush,_

_I feel those butterflies, _

I sung the lyrics I wrote softly but I couldn't come up with anymore lyrics. There was a knock on the door and Trish walked in.

"Hey Trish, what's up?" I asked as I put my songbook away.

"I just wanted to come up and check on you. Writing a song?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I'm thinking it could be Austin new single, you know, if I'm still gonna be his songwriter."

"Allyson Dawson! Stop it right this instant!" She yelled. "Austin is not gonna hate you so you have nothing to worry about."

I sighed and sat on the bed. She followed suit. "I wish I could believe you Trish, I really would." I turned over so I was now lying on my stomach and my face was hidden in a pillow. I heard the door close which meant Trish left.

I guess I fell asleep because I felt someone shaking me awake. I turned over to be faced with Rydel.

"Austin's here." She said quietly. I took a deep breath and got out of bed.

I let her walk in front of me and when we walked into the living room, I saw Austin and Dez, but they didn't notice me yet. That might have something to do with the fact that I was hiding behind Rydel.

"Als, you can't really hide." Rydel whispered.

"I know." I whispered back. That's when she decided to move. Thanks a lot Rydel!

Austin's eyes met mine and his jaw dropped. "ALLY!?"

**Hope you guys are enjoying the story! Please review :) It would mean a lot if I could get at least seven reviews. **


	3. Chapter 3

Ally POV

I awkwardly waved and gave a shy smile. "Uh, hey guys." I greeted Austin and Dez. Their jaws were still dropped and their eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their heads.

"Yo! Bozos!" Trish yelled. She walked over to them and smacked them upside the head. That had to hurt.

"Ow!" They whined as they rubbed the back of their heads. "What was that for?" Dez asked. Has he forgotten the situation already?

"You were staring at Ally like she had three heads." Rydel commented.

I honestly had no clue what to say so I just kept my mouth shut.

Austin walked over to me and started poking me. "What are you doing?" I questioned.

"Seeing if you're real because according to you, you were supposed to in California with Jason."

Jason takes that opportunity to walk in the room. Thanks a lot bro.

"Did someone say my name?" He asked.

"Okay, I'm so confused right now." Austin said. He ran a hand through his hair and that's something he does when he's frustrated. "You told us that you and Trish were gonna be in California for Winter Break."

"I-I know." I said quietly. "I lied."

"You know what, I think we're gonna leave and give you two some privacy." Rydel said. "Let's go to the café and grab some more hot chocolate."

Within a matter of minutes, everyone was out of the house and it was just me and Austin.

"Okay, why the hell did you lie to me?" He was staring right at me and I knew he was mad.

"Because I didn't know how to tell you the truth."

He rubbed his face with his hand and started pacing back and forth. "What's the truth exactly?" His voice was soft yet firm.

I took in a deep breath. "Every year, I come to Colorado to compete in The Blizzard Competition with your cousins."

"T-the Blizzard Competition? As in the snowboarding competition?" I nodded. "So you've been lying to me every year since we met!?" I nodded. I felt the tears in my eyes form but I didn't let them fall.

"I'm sorry, Austin."

"I'm sorry? You think apologizing after you've lied to me for years is enough to make me forgive you!?"

"Of course not, but-"

"But nothing, Ally! How could you keep this from me!? And how did my cousins keep this from me?" I've never heard Austin yell like this before and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared.

"Your cousins had nothing to do with this. I had no clue you were related to them, trust me." I told him truthfully.

"How can I trust you when you've been lying to me!?" He paused. "I gotta get out of here. Bye." He ran out of the house and that's when I finally let the tears fall.

I ran up to Rydel's room and changed into my snowboarding gear. I grabbed my snowboard, ran out of the house, and made my way towards the slopes.

Trish POV

"How do you think it's going?" I asked as I took a sip of my hot chocolate. Everyone shrugged but I think we got our answer when a fuming Austin walked in. Uh oh.

"So how'd it go?" Dez asked, completely oblivious to the fact that he's angry.

"Don't want to talk about." He grabbed a chair and sat down. I looked out of the café window and noticed Ally running by. She was dressed up in her snowboarding gear so I knew where she was going. Rydel who was sitting next to me noticed as well and nudged my shoulder.

"Should we go after her?" She whispered.

"No, she probably just needs to clear her head. She'll be fine." I whispered back.

"But what if Eric's there?" She asked but this time she didn't really whisper so everyone heard.

"Why did you mention Eric?" Riker asked, but more like growled.

"No reason." Rydel and I said in unison.

"Who's Eric?" Austin asked. Well this conversation should be interesting.

"Eric's the leader of The Cloud, our rival team, and let's just say we hate their guts." Ross explained.

"Why, what'd they do?"

"Eric sabotaged Riker's board a couple of years ago and because of that, he broke his arm." Rocky explained, since Riker hated telling the story.

"And Jamie, his girlfriend, almost sabotaged Ally's board." Ross added and I noticed that Austin tensed up when he said Ally.

Well the Lynch house should be interesting when we all go back. Austin and Ally probably won't talk to each other and there is no way in hell I'm going to be stuck hanging out with the red headed idiot.

After we left the café, we went home and kind of went our separate ways. Austin barely talked and that's bad since he's a very talkative person. I just hope Austin can forgive Ally.

Ally POV

The only reason I went snowboarding after the fight was because it helps keep me distracted. I focus on my moves and tricks instead of other things, like Austin.

He was so mad at me and I wouldn't be surprised if he hated me. I knew I shouldn't have kept this a secret from him. I seriously hate myself right now.

As I was walking back to the Lynches house, I ran into the two people I hated most.

"Where's the rest of your team, Ally?" Eric questioned. He started staring at me again and it's really starting to get annoying. Still creepy but also annoying.

"I'm seriously not in the mood for your crap, Eric." I tried walking by them but they shoved me back which caused me to fall. But since I have bad luck, I fell right on my wrist and heard a snap. "What the hell do you want?" I whimpered as I grabbed my wrist in hopes to stop the pain. I had no such luck.

"Nothing, we just love messing with you." They laughed and walked away leaving me alone on the ground. I got off the ground, grabbed my snowboard with my one good hand, and ran to the house. Luckily I was by the café when all this happened so I got to the house in a couple of minutes.

I ran straight to Rydel's room and ignored all the stares I was getting. I carefully took off my gear and when I glanced at my wrist, it was swollen and purple.

"Son of a bitch!" I yelled. "Stupid ass motherfuckers!" I didn't care that I was yelling or cursing for that matter. I'm pretty sure I broke my wrist and it's all because of Eric and Jamie.

"Whoa!" Jason yelled as he busted through the door. "What's with the yelling and cursing?" I showed him my wrist and his eyes widened. "Car now." He ordered. I didn't have to be told twice.

Austin POV

After Ally ran into the house and went upstairs, we heard yelling and cursing shortly after. I had no clue what that was about but I didn't really care. I actually didn't even know she left the house.

Jason went to check on her and apparently something happened because Ally came running down and went outside. Jason came down a few seconds later.

"Taking Ally to the hospital, be back later." He yelled over his shoulder and walked out of the house.

"Did he just say hospital?" Ross asked. Everyone was quiet and I don't know why, but I felt a pang of guilt.

"Do you think Eric and Jamie did something?" Rydel asked.

"I swear if they did I'm gonna rip their heads off!" Trish growled. She was pretty scary in that moment.

I didn't bother saying anything because I honestly had no clue what to say. I mean I was still mad at Ally because she kept this secret from me, but she's still my best friend.

"Has anyone seen my pet chicken!?" Dez yelled so the whole house could hear. I couldn't help but laugh at my other best friend.

"You left him at home, Dez." I told him.

"Oh, right." He went back upstairs and all eyes were on me.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He has a pet chicken?" Everyone, except Trish, asked in unison. I nodded.

A couple of hours later, Ally and Jason returned and I noticed that she had a red cast on her wrist. I'm not surprised about the color since red's her favorite. Ally didn't say anything, she just went upstairs and I noticed that her eyes were red and puffy. I had a feeling that she wasn't just crying because of her injury.

"What the hell happened?" Rydel asked Jason.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Eric and Jamie happened." Everyone's eyes widened and when I looked at Trish, it looked like she was about to kill someone.

"Do you know what happened between them?" Ross asked. He nodded.

"Ally was on her way home when she ran into them but of course, they wouldn't let her leave. They pushed her to the ground and she landed on her wrist and broke it."

Although I was mad at Ally, I couldn't help but feel bad. I also feel like it's all my fault. If I hadn't yelled at her, then she wouldn't have left the house. Is it my fault that she got hurt? Now I feel like a complete ass.

"I'm gonna go talk to Ally." I told everyone. They all nodded and I made my way upstairs. I knocked on Rydel's door and waited for a response. When there was one, I walked in. I noticed Ally sitting on her bed, her knees up to her chest, and she was hugging herself.

"What are you doing here, Austin? Want to yell at me more?" She asked quietly.

"No, I came to see how you were doing." I walked over towards the bed and sat down next to her.

"Why? I thought you hated me?"

"I could never hate you, Als. You're my best friend."

"Well I'm a terrible one since I lied to you all these years." She started tearing up but quickly rubbed her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Austin." She apologized, her voice cracking in the process. "I hated seeing you so angry and I hated that I was the cause."

"I just don't understand why you kept this from me." I said softly. My anger towards her was slowly dissipating.

"If I'm being honest, neither do I." She finally looked at me before continuing. "It's just that I've been doing this for years and when I met you, I wasn't sure if I should tell you or not. I think I was afraid that you might judge me. But now that I'm saying this out loud, I sound like an idiot."

My eyes widened in shock. I had no clue she felt like that. "Als, I wouldn't have judged you. I would've been surprised, but I wouldn't have judged you. And you don't sound like an idiot."

"I'm so sorry, Austin." She whimpered as she let herself cry. I wrapped my arm around her and she cried in my chest. "I'm so sorry."

"Als, stop, okay? I forgive you." I heard her sniffle. She lifted her head and her eyes were all red and puffy.

"Really?"

I smiled. "Yeah, so stop crying." She nodded and chuckled.

"I got your shirt all wet." She pointed out. I looked down at my shirt to see it wet with tears.

"Whatever, it's no big deal." She grabbed her cast covered wrist and sighed. "How does it feel?" I asked referring to her wrist.

"It hurts like a motherfucker."

"Okay, I've never heard you curse this much in the three years that I've known you." She shrugged and got off the bed. I followed suit.

"So we're good?" She asked. I nodded. She wrapped her arms around my torso and mine went around her shoulders. "I promise I'll never keep anything from you ever again."

I pulled away from the hug and looked at her. "Good." I gave her one last hug before I spoke up again. "Let's head back downstairs, everyone's worried about you."

"Alright, let me just change, I'm still wearing my snow pants." I nodded and walked out of the room so I could wait for her.

A few minutes later she walked out wearing sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt. We made our way downstairs and as soon as they laid their eyes on Ally, she was engulfed in a group hug.

"Guys…need…air." She gasped out. I couldn't help but laugh.

"So are you okay?" Rydel asked. Ally nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I want to kill Eric and Jamie, but I'm fine."

"Well, no killing, but we will kick their asses during The Blizzard competition." Riker stated as he put his arm around Ally.

I don't know why, but I didn't like it when he did that.

"So are we practicing tomorrow?" Ross asked.

"You guys can, I can't. The Doctor told me to let my wrist rest for a couple of days." Ally explained and I could see the disappointment in her eyes. Riker removed his arm and I felt a lot better. Why is that?

"Well we're not practicing without you so I guess we're taking a break for a couple of days." Rydel said and everyone nodded in agreement. Ally smiled and I couldn't help but do the same.

"Wait," Trish said. "Are you two good?" She asked pointing at me and Ally.

"Yeah, we're good." I said. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder as she put arm around my waist. "We're good." I whispered to myself.

**Another update! Yay! Keep reviewing! :) **


	4. Chapter 4

Ally POV

"Ally," I heard from above. I was too tired so I didn't dare open my eyes. "Ally! Wake up!" I groaned and opened my eyes but I didn't get up. I saw Rydel hover over me.

"Why did you wake me up at," I glanced at the clock. "Nine in the morning?" She laughed and grabbed my hands, forcing me to stand up.

"Because you, Trish, and I are going shopping today." I groaned once more and Rydel just rolled her eyes.

"I don't have a choice whether I want to go or not, right?" She shook her head.

"Nope, now go get ready." She grabbed my unbroken wrist and dragged me to the bathroom. "Trish and I will be waiting downstairs." She said before she walked out of the room. I closed the bathroom door before stripping off my pajamas. Now don't judge me when I say this, but whenever I take a shower, I like to brush teeth inside the shower. I don't know why I like doing that, I just do.

Once I was done with my shower, I wrapped a towel around me and walked out of the bathroom. I opened Rydel's closet, since that's where I keep all my clothes, and picked out a pair of blue skinny jeans, a red V-neck, and one of my baggy sweatshirts. Once I changed into my clothes, I blow dried my hair and did my makeup. And finally, I slid on my Ugg boots before hurrying downstairs.

"Took ya long enough." Trish complained as I walked into the living room where her and Rydel were waiting.

"Well good morning to you too." I said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and said a proper 'good morning.' "So where is everyone?" I asked once I noticed that no one was here.

"Everyone's sleeping." Rydel said.

"Lucky." I mumbled.

We piled up into Rydel's car as we made our way to the mall. I would feel a lot better if I was awake to go snowboarding and not shopping. The only shopping I'll tolerate is shopping for snowboarding gear. Like, why couldn't I just stay home and relax or even work on a song. I know I can't write anything, since I broke my right wrist, but I could still come up with lyrics. I would just have to remember them or have Austin write them down on a separate piece of paper because there's no way in hell he's touching my songbook.

When we got to the mall, Rydel and Trish ran into the first store they saw, which happened to be Forever 21. They literally ditched me to go shopping and they're the ones that wanted me to go shopping with them. Well since I'm alone and I'm not planning on shopping, I decided to go to Music World. It's a store that's just like Sonic Boom, the only difference is that it's a bit smaller. And hopefully I can get Austin's Christmas present from Music World.

As soon as I walked into the store, I spotted the owner. "Hey Uncle Danny!" I greeted my uncle, the owner of Music World. He walked around the counter and pulled me in for a hug.

"Hey kiddo." I glanced at my broken wrist and crossed his arms over his chest. "What the hell happened?"

"Eric and Jamie." That's all it took for him to understand. He knows about our rivalry so it doesn't really shock him. "So Uncle Danny, I wanted to buy my friend a guitar, want to help me out?" I asked kindly. He laughed and nodded.

He brought me over to the guitar section of the store and let me browse. There was one guitar that caught my eye and I knew Austin would love it.

"I'll take that one." I pointed to the guitar that I wanted. He grabbed the neck of the guitar and took it off the stand.

"Als, go in the back and grab a guitar case." Uncle Danny ordered. I did as told as grabbed a black guitar case. He placed the guitar in the case and secured it. "Here you go, kiddo. It's on the house."

"Uncle Danny, please let me pay for it." I pleaded. He shook his head. I knew there was no arguing with him. "Fine, but could you do me one more favor?" I asked sweetly.

"Sure, what do you want me to do?"

"Could you make a pick out of metal and engrave it for me?" He playfully rolled his eyes and nodded. I told him what I wanted engraved and he smiled. I'm guessing he approved of what I wanted written.

"So when do you want it by?"

"Um, does next Saturday work for you?" He nodded. Since today's December 12th, picking up the pick on December 20th works perfectly. It gives me time to wrap the presents.

"I'll see you next Saturday and the day after Christmas." He said, smiling. My eyes widened.

"You're coming to the competition?" I asked shocked. He never comes because he's always busy.

"You bet I am!" I gave him the biggest hug I've ever given him and I'm pretty sure I made him stop breathing.

"Alright, thanks for everything Uncle Danny." I thanked as I started walking out of the store. He said goodbye and I made my way back towards Forever 21 since the girls are most likely still there.

As I was about to walk in the store, I saw Rydel and Trish make their way out with a bunch of bags in their hands. They saw me and started laughing nervously.

"We ditched you, didn't we?" Trish asked nervously.

"Yeah, but it's fine. I was able to buy Austin a Christmas gift." I said as I lifted up the guitar case.

"That must've been expensive." Rydel said.

"Nope, I got it for free." They both looked at each other and then looked at me for further explanation. "My Uncle Danny owns Music World so he gave me the guitar for free."

"Oh!" They said, as they dragged out the word. I shook my head at them and laughed.

We decided to go home since Rydel and Trish shopped enough and I was perfectly fine with that. When we got home, I literally ran inside and went up to Rydel's room so I could hide the guitar in her closet. I know Austin would never go in there. When I went back downstairs, I noticed that no one was around except for my dad who was in the kitchen.

"Hey dad!" I greeted as I kissed his cheek. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down at the island across from him. "So I saw Uncle Danny today." He looked up from his newspaper to look at me.

"How is he?" He asked, sadness a bit evident in his voice.

"He's fine. Just letting you know, he's coming to the competition."

"Really?" He asked. He was just as shocked as I was.

"Yeah, he told me he's coming. Are you gonna be okay?" He nodded and smiled weakly.

"I'll be fine, Als. Now if you don't mind, I'll be up in my room." He kissed the top of my head before heading upstairs.

Anytime I mention Uncle Danny, my dad gets all sad. You see, my uncle was my mom's brother and before she died, my dad and uncle were really close. They were so close and you would think they were actually brothers instead of brother in-laws. When my mom died, my dad and uncle kind of drifted apart because my dad didn't want to me around Uncle Danny as much, since he reminded him a lot of my mom. I guess I kind of understand why my dad did what he did, but at the same time, I wish he hadn't have done that. I just hope my dad won't have some sort of breakdown when he sees Uncle Danny.

Since no one was around, I assumed everyone went to the basement to hangout. I really didn't want to do anything so I went up to Rydel's room. I guess talking about my mom kind of made me depressed. That's what happens anytime I think about my mom. I mean I know I barely remember her, but that doesn't make me miss her or love her any less. Sure, I'd love to have my mom in my life, but there's nothing I can do about it.

My dad would show me pictures of my mom and tell me stories about her and whenever he did that, I realized that my mom and I are very much alike. Before she had me, my mom was a snowboarder. My dad said that she could easily go pro if she wanted to but she wanted quit snowboarding so she could raise a family. And her plan of raising a family was going great until she was diagnosed with cancer. I remember seeing my parents cry as a little girl but I never understood why they were crying. But obviously I know now. I just wish my mom was alive so she could see me grow up, get married, and have kids. But somehow I know that she's always watching me even if she's not physically here.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't even hear the door open. Austin walked in and sat down next to me on the bed.

"Are you alright?" He asked a bit concerned.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well I was knocking on the door for a few minutes but you didn't answer. I was a bit worried." I smiled at the fact that he was worried about me.

"Austin, I'm fine. I was just deep in thought."

"What about?"

I sighed. "My mom." Silence filled the room so I spoke up. "You're not mad at me anymore, right?" He smiled and shook his head.

"Don't worry, Als. I'm not mad. I mean I was mad before, but we're all good now."

"Promise?"

"Promise." I wrapped my arms around his neck as his went around my waist. It was weird hugging him since we're sitting on my bed, but I still enjoyed it. "So you want to get out of here and head over to the café for some hot chocolate?"

"Sure, but what about everyone else?"

"Don't worry about them. So you in?"

"Yeah, let's go." He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. I got this weird tingly feeling when he grabbed my hand, but I really liked it. And now I have a feeling that my crush towards Austin is not longer a crush.

"Grab us a table while I get our drinks." Austin told me as we walked into the café. I nodded and did was told. He came back a few minutes later with our hot chocolate.

"Thanks, Austin." I thanked as I took a sip.

"No problem. So are you excited for Christmas?" He asked as he took a sip of his hot chocolate.

I gave him a look that said 'What kind of question is that?' He chuckled. "But to answer your question, I'm very excited. And I even got the perfect gift for you."

He grinned widely. "Can I get a hint?" He batted his eyelids and pouted his lip. Not gonna lie, that was kind of creepy.

"Okay, one, never do that again," He laughed. "And two, no you cannot."

"Aw, come on!" He whined.

"Nope, not gonna happen."

After we finished our drinks, we didn't want to leave so we stayed in the café.

"So you excited about the competition?" He asked me. I smiled and nodded.

"I can't wait! Do you know how to snowboard?"

"Nope, I never got the chance to learn."

"Than maybe I should teach you." He raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Maybe." He crossed his arms over his chest. "So how do you know my cousins exactly? I mean we never got the chance to talk about all this."

I nodded in agreement. "I used to live here when I was younger and I was actually their neighbor. I've known them ever since."

"Don't get mad at me when I ask this, but why didn't you ever tell me any of this? I mean I thought we were best friends?"

"Austin," I put my hand over his. "I never told you any of this because it was hard for me." He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion so I continued. "My mom died here and I guess talking about the place I grew up was hard for me. It honestly had nothing to do with you." He nodded.

"How about we go home and hang out with everyone?"

"Sure." We left the café and made our way home.

Although I basically confessed everything to Austin, there was still one thing that I was keeping from him.

He doesn't know that I'm in love with him.

**Let me know what you thought about the chapter! :) Reviews are appreciated! **


	5. Chapter 5

Austin POV

Okay, I don't know what's happening to me, but I'm starting to see Ally differently. Like, has her hair always been so beautiful and curly? Did her smile always light up a room? God, I sound like such a girl. But I can't help but feel that I'm falling for my best friend.

"Guys! Let's go!" I heard Ross shout. I was upstairs and I'm guessing so was everyone else except for Ross. We're going to the half-pipe today so the guys, yes, I'm saying Rydel and Ally are guys, it's just easier, can practice for the competition.

I can't wait to see Ally snowboard because my cousins are saying that she's really good. It still blows my mind that Ally actually snowboards. I mean I thought she wasn't the athletic type, but boy was I wrong.

When we all reached the living room, we had to decide who was going with who in Riker and Rydel's cars.

"Alright, Ally, Austin, Trish, and Dez, will come with me in my car while the rest of you go with Riker." Rydel explained. We all nodded and piled into the cars. I was actually excited that I got to sit next to Ally in the car. Okay, what the hell is wrong with me? Maybe I'll talk to one of my cousins about this later.

When we arrived at Storm Valley, the area with all the half-pipes, Ally basically ran out of the car. I couldn't help but laugh at her anxiousness. She was seriously adorable. Alright, can someone please smack me over the head?

We walked all the way to the top of the half-pipe and everyone was getting ready to practice. Trish, Dez, and I weren't planning on doing anything rather than watch. I was perfectly fine with that.

"Ally, you want to go first?" Rocky asked.

"Did you really have to ask?" She asked teasingly. I grinned as Ally dropped in.

I don't know what tricks she was doing, but she was doing different types of flips, turns, and slides, and it was just amazing. When she finished, I couldn't help but stare at her in awe.

"Austin, you might want to close your mouth." Dez whispered in my ear. I didn't even realize my mouth was hanging open. Can you say embarrassing?

"So how was I?" Ally asked me. Did she really have to ask?

"Als, you were amazing, like seriously, holy crap!" I babbled on but I didn't care. She smiled and I swear I saw her blush. But it could be because it's freezing out. I'm hoping for the first one.

"Thanks, Austin. You wanna go walk around a little while your cousin's practice?"

"What about you? Don't you need to practice?"

She nodded. "I do, but my wrist is kind of bothering me right now so I figured I'd take a break." She put her snowboard under her arm and walked closer towards me. "Should we take Trish and Dez with us?"

I turned around and noticed that Trish and Dez were too engrossed in watching my cousin's snowboard. "Nah, their fine. Let's go." I grabbed her snowboard from her so she wouldn't have to carry it. She looked up at me and smiled.

"So there's a lounge that we could hang out at, wanna go?" She asked. I nodded. She showed me the way to the lounge since I had no clue where I was going.

It felt so nice walking into the lounge because it was so warm. We took off our jackets and sat down on one of the couches. Ally looked down at her cast and groaned.

"I really hate this thing." She muttered.

"When can you get it off?"

"Six weeks. I'm so not looking forward to going to school with it on."

"Why?" I asked generally confused.

"Because people will ask what happened at then I'll have to explain the whole snowboarding thing, and I just don't want people to judge me."

"Als," I grabbed both her hands and squeezed them. "No one's going to judge you. Besides, everyone at school might think it's cool that you snowboard instead of surf like everyone else in Miami."

"True." She admitted. "And can I just say that snowboarding is way better than surfing."

I gaped at her. "Are you kidding? Surfing is ten times better than snowboarding. You wouldn't be so negative about surfing if you would just let me teach you."

"Austin, you tried to teach me and I almost drowned. So, no thank you. I'll stick with snowboarding." I glanced down at our hands and realized that I was still holding onto hers. I pulled away and blushed and I'm pretty sure Ally did as well.

Ally POV

Oh My God! Austin blushed! Does he like me too!? No, that's impossible. Austin could never like someone like me.

"Can we have everyone's attention!?" I turned around to see Aaron Storm, the owner of the Storm Valley. "I would like to inform all teams competing in The Blizzard Competition that this year, the competition will be televised nationwide!" My eyes widened and suddenly my stage fright was kicking in.

"Ally!" Austin yelled, grabbing my shoulders as he started to shake me. "This is awesome! You're gonna be on TV!"

"A-Austin, are you forgetting that I have stage fright?"

"Come on, Als. You can't let your stage fright stop you from snowboarding. Just forget that you're on TV."

I nodded, knowing that he was right. I pulled him in for a hug and he quickly hugged back. I pulled away after a few seconds. "Thanks, Austin."

"You're welcome."

"Well who do we have here?" That voice. Austin and I turned our heads and looked at Eric. Surprisingly Jamie wasn't with him.

"What the hell do you want, Eric?" I growled. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Austin's eyes get wide and I know why. He's never really seen me be mean to other people. But Eric is not people.

There's another reason I hate Eric but no one knows. A few years back, Eric and I dated and this was before our teams were rivals. We were actually happy and the Lynches were happy for me. I know I would only come to Colorado for a few weeks and then leave, but so would Eric. He also lives in Miami. But I never see him back home anymore. Our relationship started going downhill around the five month mark. You see, Eric has some anger issues.

That's right, he used to hit me. There was this one time where he beat me so bad that I cracked a few ribs. But he did have a flight of stairs to help him out with that beating. Of course I hid all this from my friends because I didn't want them to worry. But I think I should be the one worrying because whenever Eric stares at me, I get this bad feeling and I really don't like it.

"I just wanted to visit my friend, Ally. Oh, and how's the wrist?" I was about to attack him when I felt Austin's arms wrap around my waist, forcing me down.

"Leave me the hell alone! I am so done with your crap!" I yelled. I was getting other people's attention but I didn't care.

"Wow, Ally-cat's gotten feisty." Eric smirked.

"Dude, just go away." Austin said, obviously not wanting me to do something I'll regret.

"Fine, but just remember, I'll be back." Eric said as he walked away. I wish I could just run away and cry, but I won't let Eric get the best of me.

"Als, something's telling me that there's another reason you hate him." Austin said softly once Eric was completely out of the lounge.

I shook my head and tried to stop the tears that were forming. "It's nothing, Austin. Can we please just drop it?" He nodded hesitantly and I smiled weakly. "Thanks, so can we head back to the half-pipe?"

"Sure, let's go." He grabbed my snowboard and we hurried back to the half-pipe.

Once we got there, I grabbed my snowboard and strapped my feet. I guess I really wanted to forget about Eric because I dropped in without saying a word to anybody. I don't know what happened, but when I was doing a crippler, which is an inverted 520 degree spin performed on the front-side wall of the half-pipe, something went wrong and I ended up on the ground of the half-pipe. I wasn't hurt, but I was extremely frustrated. Why the hell did Eric have to get in my head?

I saw everyone come sliding down the half-pipe to check on me, but I waved them off. I stood up and unstrapped my feet from my snowboard. I lifted it up and tucked it under my arm.

"Are you okay?" Austin asked, his voice full of worry.

"I'm fine, don't worry. I just wiped out."

"Which you rarely do." Ryland commented.

I glared at him. "So I wiped out. What's the big deal!?" I was angry, but not at them. At Eric and I guess I was taking it out on them. "Sorry, but I'm just not feeling that well. Do you think we could come back tomorrow? Or you guys stay and I'll just walk home." I offered.

They all shook their heads. "No, it's fine. We could all use a break." Riker said. "But we'll come back tomorrow, alright?"

I nodded. "Thanks."

We left Storm Valley and made our way home. All I wanted to do was take a shower and maybe cry a little. Why does Eric have to ruin my life? Shouldn't he be at home, fucking his girlfriend?

The second we got home, I ran inside and hurried upstairs. I stripped off all my clothes and entered the nice, warm shower. Since no one was going to bother me while I was in the shower, I decided to let all the tears fall. I hate crying in front of people and if they didn't know why I was crying, then they would ask questions and I don't want to explain the abuse Eric put me through.

After I finished my shower, I changed into sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. I put my hair into a messy bun and laid down on my bed. Honestly, I wish I never dated Eric, and then maybe I wouldn't feel like this. Because truthfully, I feel like crap. I have great people in my life but Eric is not one of them. I wish he would just leave me alone.

There was a knock on the door, followed by Austin's voice. I had a feeling he would come. "Come in!" I yelled, not bothering to get up.

"Als," He started as he walked over and sat on my bed. "What's wrong? And don't even bother lying to me." I sat up and when he looked at me, his eyes widened. "Why are your eyes red and puffy?" Crap.

"No reason." I said quickly. Too quickly, I might add. I'm a really bad liar if you haven't noticed.

"Ally, please tell me what's wrong." He begged. His face was plastered with a frown and I hated seeing Austin sad. But I guess that's kind of my fault.

"If I tell you what's wrong, you're just going to tell everyone else and I can't have everyone knowing. It's just too much." My voice cracked as I continued to speak. Tears formed in my eyes and I didn't even bother wiping away the tear that rolled down my cheek.

"Als, you're scaring me. If you tell me, I promise I won't tell anyone else." He grabbed my hands and started rubbing the back of them. "Please." He pleaded.

I sighed and nodded. I took in a shaky breath before I started speaking. "When you said that there was another reason why I hated Eric, you were right." He nodded, following along. "W-well a few years back, Eric and I dated." His eyes widened, obviously in shock. Who could blame him?

"Um, things were great in the beginning, but that was before I found out about his anger issues." I stopped, as my breath hitched in my throat.

"Als, are you trying to say what I think you're trying to say?" He asked softly. I noticed tears form in his eyes which made me cry even more.

"H-he w-would beat me a-and t-there was n-nothing I c-could d-do to stop h-him." I sobbed. Austin engulfed me in a hug and I cried in his chest.

"Shh, Als, it's okay." He whispered. We stayed like that for a few minutes until I pulled away. He looked at me and wiped away my remaining tears with his thumbs. "Have you told anyone about this?" He asked softly.

I shook my head. "You're the first person I've told."

"Why didn't you call the police when all of that happened?"

"He threatened me." I whispered. I took in a few deep breaths in order to calm myself down. "I was scared and I didn't want to be in more pain than I already was."

"What's the worst thing he's ever done to you?" He asked. His voice was soft and caring. It was demanding.

"He threw me down a flight of stairs and I cracked a few ribs." Austin opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it. "You don't have to say anything, Austin. You just listening helps a little."

"I just…I just wish you didn't have to go through all of that. No one should go through that."

I smiled weakly at him. "You're not going to tell anyone, right?"

"Ally-"He started but I cut him off.

"No, Austin, you promised you wouldn't tell anyone."

"I know, but this is something serious."

"Please, Austin." I begged. He nodded hesitantly and wrapped me in another hug. My arms wrapped around his torso as his went around my shoulders.

"I promise I won't tell anyone." He whispered. I thanked him and we stayed in our hugging position for a few minutes. Being with Austin made me feel safe and I never wanted to leave his embrace.

I just wish I had the guts to tell him that I'm in love with him.


	6. Chapter 6

Ally POV

"Hey babe." Eric greeted as I walked into the Storm Valley lounge. I groaned and started walking away. "Where do you think you're going?" He grabbed my unbroken wrist and pulled me back.

"Leave me the hell alone, Eric." I growled. I pulled my wrist back and just stood there. I don't know why I didn't move, but it was as if I was too scared to move.

"What's wrong, babe?" He put his hands on my waist but I forced them off.

"You can't call me babe. Especially since we aren't dating anymore."

"About that, I think we should get back together."

I scoffed. "The day I get back together with you is the day hell freezes over." I pushed past him but he grabbed my shoulders and flung me back. Since he was stronger than me, I fell right on my back. I groaned in pain and slowly stood up.

"Now are you sure you want to leave, Allyson?" He asked. His voice was deep and husky and I'm not going to lie, it was a bit scary.

"Eric, why can't you just leave me alone?" I asked quietly. I was actually afraid for my life in this moment.

"Because I've been angry lately and you weren't around. But now you are." When I looked into his eyes, they were dark.

"You really think you can do something to me while they are people around?"

"What people?"

I looked around the lounge to find it empty. That's weird. It's never been empty before.

"E-Eric, please, just leave me alone." I begged. I hate how Eric does this to me.

"Sorry sweetheart, not gonna happen." I gulped as he walked closer to me. Before I could process what was going on, I felt a hand go across my cheek. I felt the tears well up in my eyes but I didn't let them fall.

For the next two hours, or what felt like two hours, I was punched, kicked, and beaten. Bruises would form in the next couple of hours and there would be no way to hide it from everyone.

I was currently laying on floor when Eric decided to kick me one more time. He kicked my stomach which knocked the wind out of me.

Eric bent down so he was sitting on his knees. "I really needed to do that." He whispered in my ear. He stood up and walked out of the lounge, leaving me alone.

"Someone…please…help…me." I gasped. My eyes closed and I was surrounded by darkness.

* * *

I shot up from my bed and realized that I had a nightmare. I glanced down at Trish who was still sleeping. Thank god she's a deep sleeper. I carefully got out of bed and walked out of the room. I quietly made my way downstairs and entered the kitchen.

When I looked at the clock on the oven, it said 3:27 AM. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and walked over to the couch. There was no way I was going back to sleep, especially after that nightmare. I use to have nightmares like that all the time when I was dating Eric, but they haven't returned until now.

My heart was beating like crazy and my breathing was irregular. I hate what Eric does to me. He's a bastard that should rot in hell.

"Just calm down, Ally." I whispered to myself. I glanced down at my hands and noticed that they were shaking. "Calm, down. Eric's not going to hurt you." I said to myself. I took a sip of my water which helped return my heartbeat back to normal.

"Ally?" I heard Austin's voice. I whipped my head around and noticed Austin by the staircase. His hair was a mess and he was only wearing sweatpants. That's right, he's shirtless. And can I just say that he is fit.

"W-what are you doing up?" I asked. He trudged over and sat down next to me on the couch.

"I came down here for a glass of water." I handed him my water bottle and he gladly took it. "Now you want to tell me why you're down here?" He asked, then brought the water bottle up to his lips.

"Nightmare." I simply stated. "Don't worry about it. You should head back to bed."

"If you think I'm leaving you here alone while you're clearly upset, than you're wrong." Austin said as he looked directly into my eyes.

"Austin, I'm fine. You can go back to bed." I knew Austin wouldn't believe me, but I had to try.

"Als, you're lying." He said softly. He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. Memories of my nightmare starting playing in my head and I let a tear roll down my cheek. "You had a nightmare about Eric, didn't you?" He asked, catching on as to why I'm like this. I nodded. He pulled me closer to him and my head rested against his chest.

"You do know he's not going to hurt you again, right?" He asked me. I nodded against his chest even though I wasn't completely sure. I let own a yawn and he chuckled. "Ready to head back upstairs?"

"No, I'm gonna sleep down here. Besides, I'm pretty sure Trish took up the whole bed." My eyes were getting heavier by the second and I think Austin noticed because I felt him move so we were now lying down on the couch. His arms were around my waist and my head was on his chest. If I wasn't so tired, I would question him why he didn't go upstairs. I was sleep in a matter of seconds.

"Should we wake them up?" I heard a voice from above.

"No, they're too cute."

"Guys, be quiet or you're gonna wake them up."

"Too late." Austin groaned. I opened my eyes, lifted my head off his chest, and sat up. Everyone was in the living room staring at us. "Why are you guys staring at us?" Austin asked.

"No reason." Trish said. She looked at me and mouthed, "We'll talk later." I rolled my eyes at my best friend.

"Who's ready to head to Storm Valley?" Riker asked as he clapped his hands.

"Um, would it be okay if I skipped? I'm just not in the mood today." I explained. They all looked at me with concerned faces.

"Are you okay?" Rydel asked.

I nodded. "I'm fine, I'm just not in the mood to do anything today."

"Okay, but we'll miss you out there." Ryland said.

"You'll only be gone for a few hours. Now go get ready." Everyone left the living room and ran upstairs except for Trish and Austin. "Austin, you can go with your cousins and Dez." I told him.

"Yeah, I'll be with Ally." Trish said. He looked at me and nodded. I know he was worried but I don't want him to be worried. That's why I never told anyone about Eric.

After everyone was out of the house, Trish dragged me upstairs and I told her the one thing that I admitted to myself a couple of days ago.

"I'm in love with, Austin." Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

Austin POV

Everyone was at the half-pipe except for Riker and I who were currently at the lounge. I needed to tell someone about Ally and he was the first person I could think of. And no, I'm not telling him about Eric, even though I really want to. But I promised Ally I wouldn't and I never break a promise.

"Alright, what did you want to talk about?" Riker asked as we got comfortable on the couch.

"Um, you see, I have this friend and I think I might like her, but-"

"You want to know if Ally likes you back." He finished.

"Yeah, wait what?" I asked. Did he just do what I think he did?

"Dude, I know you like Ally. It's so obvious."

"Seriously?" I squeaked.

"Oh, totally. Everyone knows you like Ally, except for Ally." My eyes widened in shock. Was I thought obvious?

"So how do I tell her I like her?" I ran a hand through my hair as I listened closely to Riker's explanation. "That's perfect!" I exclaimed as he finished. "Thanks, dude."

"Anything for my favorite cousin." He said as we fist bumped.

"I'm your only cousin." I deadpanned. He rolled his eyes at me chuckled.

I now have the perfect way to tell Ally I like her, maybe even love her, but I have to wait. It really sucks that I'm an impatient guy.

Ally POV

"I can't believe you're in love with Austin." Trish gaped at me. "I just thought you liked him?"

"So did I, but Austin and I have gotten a lot closer in the past few days and…I don't know, I guess more feelings developed."

Trish and I are both in Rydel's room, sitting crossed legged on our bed, while eating a tub of ice cream.

"So can we talk about what we all witnessed this morning?" Trish asked and I groaned. I was really hoping this wouldn't be brought up.

"Trish, I really don't want to talk about it." I put another spoonful of ice cream in my mouth.

"I just want to know why you were both cuddled up on the couch."

I sighed. "Last night I woke up from a nightmare and Austin was there to comfort me. I didn't want to go back upstairs so we slept on the couch. That's it." I was not about to tell her what the nightmare was about.

"Why didn't you just wake me up?" Crap. Think Ally, think.

"Well, because you're very cranky and moody when you don't get a full nine hours of sleep." Please be believable.

"Als, I'm not buying that crap. Now spill." She ordered. Her voice firm and stern.

I shook my head. "I can't Trish. Just, please drop it." My voice cracked and I felt the tears well up in my eyes.

"Als, what's going on?" She asked softly. "This can't be about some nightmare."

"Trish, I want to tell you, but I can't."

"Does Austin know?"

I nodded. "He practically forced me to tell him."

"Then why can't you tell me? I thought we were best friends?" She asked, anger evident in her voice.

"We are best friends! It's…I…I just…" I was full on sobbing now and I couldn't stop.

"I'm sorry, Ally. You don't have to tell me." She said as she wrapped me in a hug.

I shook my head. "Let Austin tell you." I whispered.

"Are you sure?" I nodded. We heard the front door slam which meant that everyone was home.

"You can go and ask him." I told her. She seemed hesitant at first but I pushed her. She walked out of the room, leaving me alone.

I brought my knees up to my chest and hugged myself. Any second now, everyone will know about Eric abusing me. But the whole Eric situation got me thinking. Jamie is his girlfriend now, so does that mean he does the same thing to her? I know I can't ask her because she'll just deny everything. Geez, when did my life become this complicated?

I can almost guarantee that Mark, Stormie, and my dad will find out by tonight and that's something I don't want happening. I didn't want anyone knowing about this. All I wanted was to compete in the competition and go home without any drama following me. But that's not gonna happen now. If only I told the police when he first hit me. Then maybe I wouldn't be going through any of this.

About five minutes later, all the Lynches, Dez, and Trish busted through my door. I'm guessing Austin stayed downstairs.

"Eric abused you!?" They all asked simultaneously. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. So I nodded and let more tears fall. In a matter of seconds I was engulfed in a group hug.


	7. Chapter 7

Ally POV

I couldn't help but cry even more when I was pulled into the group hug. The fact that everyone knows about the abuse is a bit overwhelming. The hug lasted for a few minutes and when we pulled away, everyone was looking at me. I noticed Rydel crying, as well as Trish. I hated seeing other people cry, especially my friends.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" Riker asked, breaking the silence. His voice was full of concern and he wasn't angry at the fact that I never told them about Eric.

"I didn't want you guys to worry about me, like you're doing now." I explained quietly. "All I want to do is forget about Eric and the abuse, but I can't." I don't think anyone knows what to say because the room falls silent once again. "Look, can we just forget about all this right now? I can't deal with this at the moment." I don't let anyone answer, I just walk out of the room and hurry downstairs.

When I got downstairs, I saw Austin sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. "You okay, Austin?" I asked. He jumped, so I'm guessing I startled him. I walked over to him and sat down next to him.

"I should be asking you that." He said softly. I shrugged and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to tell them everything." I apologized. I lifted my head off his shoulder and looked at him. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Als, I'd rather tell them then have you tell them." I smiled weakly and he did the same. I stood up and walked into the kitchen. "What are you doing?" Austin asked me, walking behind me.

"I'm in the mood for pancakes." I opened up the fridge and grabbed the eggs, flour and milk. "Want to help me make them?" I asked. He beamed and nodded. "Alright, grab the sugar and chocolate chips." I told him. He did as told and gave me the ingredients.

As I was mixing the ingredients in a bowl, Austin took some flour and put it on my head. I glared at him and he just started hysterically laughing. I decided to retaliate. I grabbed some flour and threw it as his face.

"Oh, it's on, Dawson!" He shouted. He grabbed a handful of flour and flung it right at me. Let's just say my face was completely white now.

"You're so dead, Moon!" He dashed towards the living room and I quickly ran after him. We were running around the living room like children, but I didn't care. I was actually having fun.

I noticed a sock on the floor, but Austin didn't notice and one thing led to another, and he was on his butt. I clutched my stomach as I started laughing uncontrollably.

"Als, it's not that funny." Austin whined. That just made me laugh more.

"H-how's y-your b-butt?" I asked, still laughing. He got off the floor and rubbed it.

"Let's just say there's gonna be a bruise." He muttered.

I wiped away the tears that formed from my laughter as it died down. "So uh, shall we finish those pancakes?" I asked, slightly giggling. He playfully glared at me, but nodded.

We went back to the kitchen and finished the pancakes. I found it a bit weird that Austin and I were alone downstairs while everyone was upstairs. It's like they knew we wanted to be alone. Well, I wanted to be alone with him, but I don't if he wanted the same. I could only hope he wanted the same thing.

"So Als," Austin started as he took a bite out of his pancake. "Wanna go for a walk after we're done?"

I looked at him and smiled. "Sure."

We finished eating and grabbed our jackets before heading out. "We're going on a walk! Don't wait up!" Austin yelled for the whole house to hear. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door.

Austin POV

There's a reason I wanted to take Ally out on a walk. You see, I had this whole plan to kiss her on Christmas Day under some mistletoe, but I don't think I can wait. It's like I need to kiss her or else I'll lose my mind. So I'm hoping this walk will turn out well.

"Austin, where are we going anyways?" Ally asked me. I was still holding her hand, but not the type of holding hands that couples do. I decided to intertwine our fingers and pray that she wouldn't pull away. And guess what? She didn't!

"Honestly, I have no clue." I told her truthfully. "But I just wanted to spend some alone time with you. Is that alright?"

She looked at me and smiled. "You know I love spending time with you." I couldn't help but smile like an idiot when she said that.

I find it really weird that when we dated for like, a week, it was so awkward. But now, if we dated again, I think we could make it work and last. There's no doubt in my mind that I'm in love with Ally Dawson.

"So are you nervous about the competition being televised?" I asked.

"If I'm being honest, no. I mean I was when I first found out, but now I find it kind of exciting." She paused and her eyes widened. "I just realized I didn't tell your cousins about the competition being televised."

I started laughing. "Don't worry Als, we'll you'll tell them when we get back." We continued walking until Ally stopped all of a sudden. "Why'd you stop?" I asked.

"I know somewhere we could go that no one else knows about. Wanna go?"

"Yeah, but where is it?"

"Just follow me." Since our hands were still laced together, she was literally pulling me to the mystery destination. About five minutes later, we stopped in front of tree house.

"Is this yours?" I asked. She started climbing up which looked difficult for her since she had a broken wrist. I followed her and we both sat down on the cold, wood floor.

"Yeah, my dad built this when I was three and I've always loved coming here."

"So my cousins don't know about this?"

She shook her head no. "You're actually the first person I've showed this to." My jaw dropped slightly and I looked at her in disbelief.

"What about Trish? I mean she is your best friend."

"Trish may be my best friend, but I don't think she would appreciate this as much as you. To her, she would see this as just a tree house, something that little kids would use, but I see it as something more."

"You see the tree house as a place where you could get away from everything." I added. She nodded. "That's how I see the practice room."

"Really?" She asked, shocked.

"Yeah, I mean when we're in there writing a song, it's like we're in our own world. It's one of my favorite places."

"One of? What's the other?"

"This tree house." She looked at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Mine instinctively went around her waist. I feel like we're always hugging when we're sitting, but I like it. I love having her in my arms and I never want to let her go.

We pulled away from the hug and just stared into each other's eyes. I found myself leaning in and to my surprise, so was she. In a matter of seconds, our lips were touching and it was the most amazing feeling. Our lips were moving in sync and I swear I could've kissed Ally all day if we didn't need to breathe.

We pulled apart and just looked at each other. "That was…"

"Amazing." I breathed out.

"Yeah."

"L-look Als, I really like you." I paused. "Wait, no, I don't like you because I love you. I think I've loved you all along but I was too afraid to realize my feelings for you." I grab her hand and intertwine our fingers. "Ally Dawson, I love you with all my heart." She smiled widely and I can't help but do the same.

"Austin, I love you too."

"Really?" She nodded. I did the only thing I could think of and crashed my lips onto hers. She smiled against my lips and I mimicked her. "So now there's only one question I have for you." She nodded, letting me continue. "Will you do me the honors of being my girlfriend?" She playfully rolled her eyes.

"You really didn't have to ask, but my answer is yes." I mentally fist pumped the air but kept my cool on the outside. "But I have a quick question."

"Sure, what?"

"Do you think we could hold off on telling people we're together? I mean I think we should tell everyone after the competition." She explained. I nodded in understanding. "So are you okay with that?"

"Als, I'm fine with it. But you do realize we won't be able to act like a couple around everyone."

"Then I guess we'll just have to sneak around." She smirked.

"I like this new Ally Dawson." She playfully shoved me.

"Please, I didn't change. Besides, I think it'd be kind of fun to sneak around."

"Okay seriously, who are you and what have you done with the real Ally?"

"Shut up Monica." I gaped at her.

"You did not just middle name me?"

"Why yes I did. What are you gonna do about it?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

I grabbed her waist and pulled her onto my lap. Before she got the chance to question what I was doing, I crashed my lips onto hers. I don't want to sound like a girl, but every time we kiss, sparks fly and butterflies flutter in my stomach.

"Let's head back to the house." She said. We climbed down the tree house and I laced our fingers together.

Ally POV

"Do you think it's weird that this time, our relationship isn't awkward?" Austin asked me. We were about ten minutes away from the house so we were able to act like a couple until we got there.

"I don't think so. I think the last time we tried being a couple, we just liked each other and we weren't actually in love. But this time we are."

"Yeah we are." He whispered and kissed my temple. "You know I had this whole plan on telling you how I felt and I was going to do it on Christmas."

"Then why'd you do it now?"

"Because I couldn't wait anymore." He stopped walking and looked at me. "It killed me not being able to hold you and kiss you and tell you that I love you." I smiled and pecked his lips.

"Well just letting you know, I'm glad you didn't wait."

When we got to the house, we let go of each other's hands and quickly kissed each other before we walked in. Everyone was in the living room, including my dad, Mark, and Stormie.

"Hey guys." Dad greeted. He's happy which meant he doesn't know about the abuse.

"Hey." We greeted back. "Austin, want to go work on a song?" I asked him. Let's hope he got the hint.

"Sure." He looked at his family. "Call us when dinners ready." We hurried upstairs and walked into Rydel's room. He shut the door behind us and locked the door. "So did you really want to work on song?" He asked, smirking.

"Yes and no. I already started working on a song before you came to Colorado, but now that we have the room to ourselves, I don't really want to." He chuckled.

Austin grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to him as my arms went around his neck. We slowly leaned in and when our lips touched, fireworks went off. Kissing Austin makes me feel amazing and if we could kiss all day, we would.

"Als, are you gonna tell your dad about Eric?" Austin asked. We laid on my bed, with my head on his chest.

"No." I said. "I don't want him finding out."

"But wouldn't it be better if he knew? I know you don't want to talk about it, but sometimes talking about it helps."

"I know talking about it is supposed to help, but it doesn't. Whenever I talk about it, it just brings up bad memories."

"I wish I could make you forget."

"Me too. But you being here with me helps."

"Glad I could help." He started rubbing my back which started making me sleepy. I yawned and I felt him chuckle. "Am I making you sleepy?"

"Yeah."

"Then go to sleep. I'll wake you up when dinners ready."

"Alright, thanks."

"Love you, Als."

"Love you too, Austin." My eyes started getting heavy and before I fell asleep, I felt him kiss the top of my head.

**Austin and Ally are finally together. Next chapter might have some Austin and Eric drama. What do you think's gonna happen? Review! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Ally POV

"Alright Als, you're up." Ryland said. I nodded and dropped in.

We're currently at Storm Valley practicing for The Blizzard Competition since it's only two weeks away. At least I think it is. I'm starting to lose track of the days since these past few days have been pretty hectic. And yesterday at dinner, I told everyone about the competition being televised and they all flipped out. They're all really excited now. Probably a little more than they were before.

The only reason I'm not completely losing my mind with the whole Eric situation, is because of Austin. He's being such a great, supportive boyfriend and I couldn't ask for anyone better. The fact that Austin is my boyfriend still shocks me a little. I'm just glad that no one suspects anything because I really don't want anyone finding out we're dating yet.

I did a backflip, followed by a crippler, and a McTwist before I stopped. I walked back up to the top of the half-pipe just as I saw Rydel drop in.

"Awesome job, Als!" Austin cheered as I walked towards him.

"Thanks." I would've kissed him right there if we were alone.

"Hey Ally?" Trish asked as she walked up to me. I told Austin to give us a minute and he did as told.

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have pressured you into telling me about Eric." I wrapped her in a hug.

"It's okay, Trish. I know I should've told you when it was actually happening, but I was scared and stupid."

"You're not the stupid one, Als. Eric is."

"Did someone say my name?" I turned around and there was Eric. No Jamie, which I found weird since they're dating.

"Leave us the hell alone." I growled. Austin and the rest of the guys walked up to us, and since no one was paying attention to me, Austin grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers.

"Now why would I do that?" He asked, smirking. He started looking at me and I was starting to feel a bit scared.

"You know we should really call the cops on you." Riker said.

"Why, exactly?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "What did I do wrong?" He asked innocently.

"You fucking know what you did!" Trish yelled. Eric looked at me and I could see the fury in his eyes.

"You told them, didn't you?" His voice was dripping with anger and I tightened my grip on Austin's hand. "You'll regret this, Dawson. Watch your back." He threatened. He turned around and walked away. Austin let go of my hand so no one would get suspicious, but at that moment I really didn't care if people saw.

"Are you okay, Als?" Ross asked, quietly. I plastered on a fake smile and nodded.

"I'm fine, let's just get back to practice." They all looked at each other before nodding. As I was strapping my feet onto my snowboard, I noticed Austin walking away. Why do I have a bad feeling about where he's going?

Austin POV

I know confronting Eric isn't something that I should do, but he just got me so mad. Nobody threatens Ally. Especially someone who used to abuse her.

I followed Eric into the lounge and pulled him into the men's bathroom. Luckily no one was in there.

"What the hell man!?" He yelled. I let go of his arm that I was holding so he couldn't get away. "What's your problem!?"

"My problem is that you won't leave Ally the fuck alone!"

"Why do you care about that bitch anyways?" That's when I lost it. My anger boiled and I punched him right in the jaw.

"Never call Ally a bitch! And leave her alone or else I'm calling the cops!" I walked out of the bathroom, leaving Eric alone.

I made my way back towards the half-pipe, but before I got there, I noticed everyone walking towards me.

"You guys done for the day?" I asked. They all nodded. Ally gave me a look that said, 'we're talking.' I already knew what she wanted to talk about and I wasn't planning on lying to her. I don't care that I punched Eric because he deserved it. He's a jerk that needs to be arrested for abusing Ally.

When we got home, everyone went down to the basement while Ally and I went up to Rydel's room. I locked the door so we could have more privacy.

"Where did you go before?" She asked, softly. "And please don't lie to me."

"I wasn't planning on lying to you." I said. "I followed Eric to the lounge, dragged him to the men's bathroom, and punched him." I explained like it was no big deal. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

"Y-you what?"

"Look, I didn't intend on punching him, but he insulted you and something in me snapped." I grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. "Are you mad?"

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Normally I would be mad because you were violent," I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "But Eric's a douche and he deserved it. So thank you."

"You're welcome." I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Als, Jason still doesn't know about what Eric did to you." I said quietly.

"I-I don't want to tell him." She sat down on her bed and I did the same. "Knowing Jason, he's gonna blame the abuse all on him and I don't want that."

"Als, I think he deserves to know that his little sister was in an abusive relationship." I cringed when I said that. I hate saying it but it's the truth. "If you want, I'll be there with you when you tell him."

She looked at me and nodded. "I'll tell him when he gets home."

"Where is he?"

"He's visiting an old friend. He should be back later." I nodded. "Wanna head down to the basement?" She asked.

"Sure. But before we go, let me do this." Before she had the chance to say anything, I crashed my lips onto hers. She responded immediately and our lips molded together perfectly.

When we entered the basement, we noticed that the guys were trying to find a movie to watch. "Did you guys choose a movie?" I asked. Since there was no more room on the couch, Ally and I sat down on the floor. If they knew we were dating, I would have Ally sit on my lap, but they don't so that can't happen.

"We were thinking of watching a horror movie." Riker said. Ally groaned.

"Horror movies are so boring." She whined.

"Come on, Als. Maybe this one," Riker help up Insidious 2. "Will scare you."

"I doubt it." She mumbled. "But fine." She rested her head on my shoulder and I put my arm around her. We did this as best friends before so it shouldn't shock anyone.

"Why aren't you guys dating?" Rydel asked. I froze and I'm pretty sure Ally did too.

"We're just friends, Rydel." I lied. I heard her sigh and I knew she bought it. Riker popped in the DVD and shut off all the lights so it was really dark down here. If Ally and I were alone, let's just say that we wouldn't be watching the movie.

There was one scene that actually made Ally jump. I was kind of shocked because she usually falls asleep during these movies. She clutched onto my shirt and buried her face in my chest.

"Someone's scared." I whispered so only she would hear.

"Shut up." She whispered back. I chuckled and started playing with a strand of her hair.

Just as the movie ended, we heard the front door open and close, which meant Jason was home. I know Ally doesn't want to tell him about the abuse, but she has. Hopefully she'll be able to move past all this because I hate seeing her scared.

"Jason, can I talk to you?" Ally asked. He closed the fridge and walked towards us.

"Uh, sure. Is everything alright?"

Ally looked at me for reassurance and I squeezed her hand. "Just come with us to Rydel's room." She said. We walked upstairs and entered Rydel's room.

"Alright, what's going on?" Jason asked. He sat down on Rydel's computer chair while Ally and I sat down on her bed.

"I need to tell you something about E-Eric."

"What did he do this time?" Jason asked. He's so not going to be happy when she tells him what he did.

"He didn't do anything, but I need to tell you about what he used to do." Her voice started to crack and I knew she would start crying soon. "Do you remember how Eric and I used to date?" Jason nodded. "Well h-he had some a-anger issues and whenever he was angry, h-he w-would beat m-me." She explained. I saw a few tears roll down her cheek. I tried comforting her by rubbing her back since that usually does the trick.

"He abused you?" Jason asked. His voice was low and you could hear the anger in his voice. Ally slowly nodded. I hated seeing her so upset. Jason stood up and wrapped Ally up in a hug. I was just sitting there, watching them, but I didn't care. Ally needed me and I wasn't going to leave her.

"I'm sorry I never told you." Ally said, as she wiped away her tears. She reclaimed her seat next to me and I wrapped my arm around her waist. I don't care if Jason gets suspicious.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Als. Eric is the son of a bitch who needs to apologize."

"That's not going to happen." I said. "I had a talk with him today and apologizing isn't on his list. But he may have trouble talking since I did punch him in the jaw." Jason grinned, obviously pleased that I punched the bastard.

"I'm guessing that dad doesn't know." Ally shook her head no. "You have to tell him."

"No I don't and I'm not planning on it. I don't want dad worrying about me. Please don't tell him." She begged.

"Als-"

"Please?" Jason opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. He nodded hesitantly. "Thank you, Jason." They got up once more and hugged.

"Can I say something?" Jason asked. Ally nodded. "I know you guys are together and if you're trying to keep it a secret, you're not doing a very good job." He smirked. My jaw dropped as did Ally's.

"Are we that obvious?" I asked, shocked.

"A little, but no one else realizes that you guys are dating. But why are you keeping it a secret?"

"We just want to wait until the competition is over before we tell everyone." Ally explained. "So could you not tell anyone until then?"

"Sure thing, sis. And Austin?" He asked, looking at me. I stood up. "Take good care of her."

"I will, don't worry." I draped my arm over her shoulder and brought her closer.

"Okay, I'm gonna leave so you two can have some alone time. But don't have too much fun."

"Jason!" Ally yelled. She blushed furiously, as did I. "Get out!" She pushed Jason out of the room and he was just laughing his head off. "We're never speaking of this moment." Ally said, as she shut and locked the door.

"Don't have to tell me twice." I raised my hands up in defense. She laughed and hugged my torso as my arms went around her shoulders.

"Thanks for being with me when I told Jason."

"You know I'd always be there for you." I bent down and kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Als."

"I love you too, Austin."

**I just wanted to say thank you for all the reviews! It really means a lot to me and I'm glad you're all enjoying the story. Love ya! **


	9. Chapter 9

Ally POV

So we've been practicing for the competition every day, and it's safe to say that we're ready. I practiced a little more than everyone else because it's a bit difficult snowboarding with a broken wrist, but I managed.

Ever since Austin had that "talk" with Eric, he hasn't looked, or even talked to me. You have no idea how grateful I am that he's left me alone. I've been happier these past few days and I owe it all to Austin.

"Rydel," I walked into the living room where everyone was watching TV. "Could you drive me to the mall so I could pick up that thing?" I asked, trying to be as discreet as possible since I don't want Austin knowing what I got him.

"Sure, let me go get my keys." She got off the couch and walked into the kitchen.

"What are you picking up?" Rocky asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I smirked. "But I can't tell any of you since it's a surprise for someone in this room." They all looked at each other before saying, "Austin." Obviously Austin didn't say anything but when I glanced at him, he smirked. "You guys suck."

"Let's go, Als." Rydel said. I grabbed my jacket off the coat hook. We walked out of the house and got in Rydel's car.

Once we got to the mall, we walked straight towards my uncle's store. I noticed that my uncle wasn't at the counter, but my cousin Jake was. "Hey Jake!" I greeted. He got a huge smile on his face as he ran towards me and wrapped me in a hug.

"I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too."

My cousin Jake and I are really close. When I used to live in Colorado, we would hang out all the time. Although I live in Miami now, we still keep in touch, just not as much. Jake is a year younger than Jason, so he's twenty. I only told you his age because I think Jake and Rydel would make a cute couple. They both like each other, they just never admitted it to each other.

"Hey Rydel." Jake greeted, with a hug.

"Hey Jake." She giggled and I mentally face palmed.

"So where's Uncle Danny?" I asked.

"Dad's at home since it's his day off." He answered. "But he did tell me that you're picking up a guitar pick." He reached under the counter and I'm assuming grabbed the guitar pick. He handed me a small box. I opened it and smiled. Austin was going to love it.

"It's awesome." I showed it to Rydel and she smiled. "So are you coming to the competition next Friday?"

"Duh!" Once I shoved the box into my bag, I noticed that Jake and Rydel were just staring at each other. Like, just make out already.

"Guys, you both like each other, just go out already." I told them. They slowly turned their heads towards me and I slowly started backing away. "I'm just saying." I started walking towards the exit when I heard Jake speak up.

"You know, she's right. How about I take you out tonight?" Jake asked. I knew once those words left his mouth, Rydel would be grinning like an idiot.

"Sure, how does seven o'clock sound?"

"It's a date."

I completely walked out of the store so Rydel wouldn't suspect that I was listening in on her conversation. But the second I walked out of the store, I started jumping up and down, which earned me some stares from the mall goers.

"Allyson Dawson!" Rydel yelled, as she walked out of the store. "I know you were listening in on our conversation." I laughed nervously. "But thanks for what you did in there. Because of you, I have a date tonight."

"It's the least I could do. Besides, you and my cousin have liked each other for a long time but you were both too chicken to actually do something."

"You're so weird."

"But you love me."

"Yeah I do." We linked arms and walked out of the mall.

The ride home was filled with laughter and singing and let's just say my throat hurt because we were so loud. You know I'm really happy that Jake and Rydel are going out on a date tonight. But the only problem is her brothers. She may be the second oldest, but since she's the only girl, they're all really protective of her. I guess that's how Jason is with me.

The second we got home, Rydel ran upstairs to her room so she could get ready. I don't know why she wanted to get ready so early since it's only twelve in the afternoon, but I'm not going to question her.

"Why's Rydel so happy?" Riker asked. I entered the living room and claimed a seat next to Austin on the couch. It took everything I had in me not to kiss him.

"She has a date tonight with my cousin." All of the guys had their jaws dropped, except for Austin and Dez of course. Trish started squealing and then she ran upstairs to help Rydel get ready, I'm assuming.

"Guys, you're gonna catch flies if you don't close your mouths." Austin told his cousins. I couldn't help take my phone out and snap a picture of them. I showed the picture to Austin and he started laughing.

"Rydel is not going out with Jake." Rocky said. Is he serious?

"Guys, you know Jake and you know he would never hurt Rydel. He's like the sweetest guy ever." I told them. "Besides, Rydel's twenty years old so you can't exactly tell her who she can and can't date."

"But-"Riker started but I cut him off.

"But nothing, guys. Let Rydel live her life. And that includes going out with Jake."

Sometimes the guys are too overprotective. I mean it's awesome that they care for their sister, but they need to realize that she's a grown adult.

"Ally's right." Ross said. I grinned. "Jake's a nice guy and if Rydel likes him, then we shouldn't interfere."

"When did you become so mature?" Ryland asked. Ross scoffed.

"Please, I've always been mature." I couldn't help but laugh. He glared at me.

"Ross, I love you and I've known you forever, but you're not mature whatsoever. Remember that time you ran outside in only your boxers and started singing _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_?" Everyone started laughing.

"I was eight!" He defended. We all looked at him. "Fine, I was fourteen. But Riker dared me to do it."

"Yeah, but I never said you had to do it in only your boxers. That was your choice." He said. "And a stupid one at that since it was winter."

"And I think we just proved my point." I said. Ross crossed his arms over his chest and sunk down in his seat. I got off the couch and made my way towards the fridge. As I was about to open the fridge, I noticed a note on the door from my dad.

_Als, _

_I'm so sorry that I'm telling you this in a note, but I had to fly back to Miami. Sonic Boom was left unattended because Maria and Jasmine decided to quit on us. I won't be able to come back which means I won't be there for the competition. Again, I'm so sorry. I love you and good luck. _

_~Dad_

I read the note a few times just to make sure I read it right the first time. My dad is not gonna watch me compete? He's always been there to watch and he's always supported me. I mean I know I have all my friends and some of my family, but my dad was the most important person to me.

"Well that brought my mood down." I mumbled to myself. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and ran down to the basement.

I just sat down on the couch, in the dark I might add, because I didn't feel like turning on any lights. I guess I was feeling dark in that moment. I know it's not my dad's fault that Maria and Jasmine quit on us, but I wish he was here.

And I knew that we never should've hired those two skanks to run our store. I called them skanks because that's what they are. I go to school with them and those two are the types of girls that wear way too much makeup and wear miniskirts that basically show their ass's because their too damn short. At least the competition is televised so he can watch it from home.

"Ally?" I heard Austin whisper. "Are you here?"

"Yeah, I'm on the couch." He turned on the light and made his way over to the couch.

"Are you okay? You just ran without any explanation." I leaned my head on his shoulder and he draped his arm over my shoulder.

"My dad had to fly back to Miami." He removed his arm and lifted my head, forcing me to look at him. "Maria and Jasmine decided to quit."

"I hate those two. They think they're all that. I'm surprised your dad even hired them."

"Likewise. I told him he shouldn't have hired them but he didn't listen to me."

"I'm sorry, Als." He placed a soft kiss on my forehead. "Are you gonna be okay?" I nodded and smiled weakly. "You know what we haven't done today?" He asked. I smirked. He crashed his lips onto mine and those same sparks I felt when we first kissed happened again. I'm not even going to lie, Austin is like, the best kisser. Not that I have anyone else to compare him to, but…I think you get the point.

"So what did you do while I was gone?" I asked. Since no one was down here, he pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Jimmy actually called me and scheduled a concert here in Colorado since he knows I'm here."

"When is it?"

"Tomorrow." My eyes widened and I got off his lap.

"Tomorrow?" He nodded. "Dude, that's not enough time to rehearse."

"Als, would you relax?" He paused and gave me a strange look. "Never call me dude. Its weird hearing your girlfriend say that."

"Is it really dude?"

"Stop it."

"Would you rather prefer Monica or dude?" He narrowed his eyes at me and tried hiding his smile.

"How about babe?" I rolled my eyes.

"Calling you babe in front of everyone doesn't help since we don't want to tell anyone that we're dating."

"Whatever." He chuckled. "But about the concert tomorrow, I'm short one song."

"Well we can go finish writing the song we've been working on, if you want?" He shook his head no.

"I was thinking that maybe we could do a duet?" He asked sheepishly. My jaw dropped and I froze.

"Austin, are you forgetting about my stage fright?"

"Of course not, but don't you think it's time to conquer your fear?"

Is it time? I mean I've had my stage fright for years and because of it, I can't follow my dream of becoming a singer. So should I take this chance and do the duet?

"You know what? I'm gonna do it." He smiled widely and kissed me hard, yet passionate. "So which song should we do?"

"_Don't Look Down?"_ I nodded. "Awesome! And you're going to do great, Als."

"Let's hope." I muttered. "Well I'm gonna head upstairs and help Rydel get ready for her date." I pecked his lips before running upstairs.

I walked into Rydel's room just as she walked out of the bathroom wearing a robe and her hair was wet.

"Someone's anxious to get ready for her date." I smirked.

"You know it."

Trish was sitting on our bed reading a magazine so I decided to do the same, just without the magazine.

"Guess what?"

"What?" Trish asked, not looking up from her magazine. Once I tell her, the magazine won't be her main focus.

"Austin's having a concert tomorrow and we're doing a duet." She dropped the magazine and slowly looked at me.

"You're gonna be singing on stage?" I nodded. "Ally! This is awesome!" She gave me a side hug which I gladly returned. "Which song are you singing?"

"_Don't Look Down._" I smiled. "I'm excited and nervous at the same time."

"Don't worry, Als. You're gonna do amazing."

"Thanks, Trish."

We helped Rydel get ready for her date and let me tell you, it was a lot of fun. He turned on some music and just sang our heart outs.

I curled Rydel's hair while Trish did her makeup. Trish is amazing when it comes to makeup. Like seriously, she should be a makeup artist. I gave Rydel some loose curls which really made her look amazing. For her makeup, Trish didn't do anything major, but she put on some foundation with blush, put on some pink lipstick, and put on some light pink eyes shadow.

For her outfit, she chose white skinny jeans, a fancy pink sweater, and knee high black boots. Overall, she looked amazing. I know Jake is going to love it.

"Delly, you look amazing!" I gushed. Trish agreed

I guess we spent hours getting her ready for her date because we heard the doorbell, which meant Jake was here. We walked out of her room and made our way downstairs.

Jake was wearing black jeans, a blue V-neck, and a black leather jacket. "Looking good, cousin." I said. I walked over to Austin and stood next to him.

"You look amazing, Rydel." Jake complimented.

"Thanks Jake." All of Rydel's siblings were eyeing Jake so I knew I had to do something.

"Alright, have fun you guys." I was practically pushing Jake and Rydel out of the house, but Rydel mouthed "Thank you" to me so I knew I was doing the right thing. "Have fun!" I shouted as they walked out of the house. I closed the door and looked at her siblings. "You guys are ridiculous."

We spent the rest of the night talking about the competition and Austin's concert tomorrow. Everyone was excited for our duet and so was I, but I was mostly nervous. I'm afraid of making a fool out of myself, but I shouldn't think like that.

When Rydel came home, she had the biggest smile on her face but since it was late, we were going to talk about her date tomorrow. Everyone dispersed to their own rooms, but Austin and I stayed back so we could say a proper goodnight.

"Night, Als." He cupped my face and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"Night, Austin."

We went to our own rooms and I couldn't help but fall asleep with a smile on my face.

**You guys are amazing! Thank you for all the reviews! I love writing this story and I hope you love reading it! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Ally POV

Why the hell did I agree to do the duet with Austin? The concert isn't even for another six hours but I'm already freaking out. I honestly think I'm gonna have a panic attack. Stupid stage fright!

Well anyways, Rydel told Trish and me all about her date last night and while she was talking, she couldn't get rid of the smile that was on her face. I'm almost positive that it's permanently plastered on her face. Jake took her ice skating and she even gushed about how they held hands the entire time. And the best part of the night, according to Rydel, is when they kissed. That kiss was special for Rydel because it was her first kiss. I'm glad it was with Jake and not some jerk.

As of right now, everyone's getting ready to head to the venue where the concert is being held so Austin can rehearse a little. We asked his cousins if they wanted to watch the concert from backstage or the audience and they said the audience so we managed to get them front row tickets. As for Trish, Dez, Jason and I, we're watching from backstage.

"Alright, everyone ready?" Austin asked, as we all piled up into the living room. We nodded our heads yes. Since there's ten of us, we had to take two cars which isn't a problem. Austin, Dez, Trish, and I went with Rydel in her car while the rest of the guys went with Riker. Since the venue was almost two hours away, I was going to spend that time freaking out.

Trish decided to sit in the front so she could keep Rydel company while Austin, Dez, and I sat in the back. I, of course sat in the middle so I had Austin on my left and Dez on my right. Rydel blasted the music which was perfect so Austin and I could talk without anyone really hearing our conversation.

"Stop freaking out." Austin whispered. I looked at him and raised my eyebrow.

"How did you know I was freaking out?" He discreetly grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers.

"I can read you like a book, Als. I know you're nervous, but I guarantee that you're going to be amazing."

"I would kiss you right now if we were alone." I whispered so only he could hear. He smiled.

"Well you're lucky that I have a dressing room at the venue." He started wiggling his eyebrows and I couldn't help but laugh. I yawned and rested my head on Austin's shoulder. "I'll wake you up when we get to the venue. Love you." He whispered in my ear.

"Love you too." I whispered back. As much as I hate secretly dating, I just don't want anyone knowing yet. I want all our focus to be on the competition, but I don't think I can do this much longer. Maybe we should just tell everyone. I closed my eyes and in a matter of minutes I was fast asleep.

I felt someone caressing my cheek, followed by, "Als, wake up." My eyes fluttered open and I noticed that no one was in the car, except for Austin and I.

"Where is everyone?" I questioned.

"I told them to head inside while I wake you up. And I wanted to do this?" He leaned in and the second his lips touched mine, I couldn't fight the smile that was forming.

When we walked into the venue, my jaw dropped. It was huge and I was starting to freak out even more. There were at least ten thousand seats and I remember Austin telling me that his concert was sold out.

We made our way towards backstage where everyone was hanging out. "Guys, Ally and I are gonna be in my dressing room so we can get ready for the concert." Austin told everyone. I noticed that Jason was smirking but luckily he didn't say anything. And if he did, I would have to kill him later.

We walked down the hall where Austin's dressing room was and the second we walked in, Austin had me pinned against the wall, crashing his lips onto mine. He had my hands above my head as he continued attacking my lips.

"We…need…to…get…ready." I said, in between kisses. He kissed me passionately one more time before unpinning me against the wall.

"Well that was hot." He smirked. I chuckled.

"Can I ask you something?

"Als, you know you can. What's up?" I grabbed his hand and walked over to the couch that's in his dressing room.

"Do you think we should tell everyone we're dating? I mean like, now."

"Well I'm okay with it, but are you?" I smiled and nodded. "Good because I hate not being able to act like a couple around everyone." He cupped my face and kissed me softly. "I love you."

"I love you too." I pecked his lips. "But let's tell everyone tomorrow. Let's focus on the concert which I'm still nervous about."

"I know you're nervous, but when we're up on stage, just look at me. Act like we're in the practice room and it's just the two of us." He kissed my forehead before standing up.

We started getting ready for the concert since we definitely weren't dressed properly. I decided to change in the bathroom while Austin changed in the dressing room. I changed into blue skinny jeans, a red tube top, and for shoes, I chose red wedges. At least I'm matching my red cast.

I re-curled my hair and did a little bit of makeup, which consisted of some foundation, blush, lipstick, and eye shadow. Once I made sure that I was completely finished getting ready, I walked out of the bathroom. Luckily, Austin was already finished.

He was wearing black skinny jeans, a white V-neck with a red jacket on top, followed by his red high tops. "Well we're matching." I commented. He examined my outfit and grinned.

"You look beautiful, by the way." He grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to him.

"And you look handsome." He leaned down and placed his lips onto mine. "What time is it?" I asked as I pulled away.

He looked at his watch. "It's quarter to four and the concert starts at seven." I nodded.

"Then I guess you should start rehearsing."

"But I'd rather be here." He whined. "Because I won't be able to do this," He leaned and kissed me. "When we leave this dressing room." He finished.

"Well tomorrow we're going to tell everyone so you'll be able to do that as much as you want."

"I like the sound of that."

When we made our way backstage, Austin went straight towards the stage while I went to the seating area they had. There were a couple of couches and a love seat and I decided to take the love seat.

"Did you plan on matching with Austin?" Trish asked, when she glanced at him.

"No, I just wanted to match my cast and red's my favorite color so…" I trailed off. "But we really didn't plan on matching." When I looked at Jason, he was smirking again. My brother is so weird.

When the concert finally started, my heart started beating out of my chest. Austin and I would be singing our duet after _A Billion Hits_, which is the song he's singing now.

"Guys, I don't think I can do this." I said. My heart was beating really fast and I thought it was going to beat right out of my chest.

"Allyson Dawson," Trish said, as she grabbed my shoulders. I hate it when she calls me Allyson. "You are going to sing your heart out and you're going to be amazing."

"But-"

"No buts." She interrupted. "You'll be fine."

"Now signing _Don't Look Down_ with me, please help me welcome, Ally Dawson!" Austin shouted in his microphone. The crowd erupted into cheers. I grabbed a microphone from one of the stage handlers and walked out on stage. Just breathe, Ally.

"Hey everyone!" I shouted. Using the microphone of course. I took a breath and looked at Austin when he started singing.

**Austin:**  
Yeah  
Woah  
I'm walking on a thin line  
And my hands are tied  
Got no where to hide

I'm standing at a crossroads  
Don't know where to go  
Feeling so exposed

**Ally:**  
Yeah I'm caught in between  
Where I'm going and where I've been  
But I know, there's no turning back  
Yeah

**Both:**  
It's like I'm balanced on the edge  
It's like I'm hanging by a thread  
But I'm still gonna push ahead  
So I tell myself  
Yeah, I tell myself

Don't look down, down, down, down  
Don't look down, down, down, down  
Don't look down, down, down, down  
Don't look down, down, down, down

**Austin:**  
It'd be so easy  
Just to run  
It'd be so easy  
To just give up

**Ally:**  
But I'm not that girl who go turn my back  
There's no turning back

**Both:**  
No turning back

**Ally:**  
It's like I'm balanced on the edge

**Austin:**  
It's like I'm hanging by a thread

**Ally:**

But I'm still gonna push ahead  
So I tell myself  
Yeah I tell myself

**Both:**  
Don't look down, down, down, down  
(**Ally:** Dooowwwnnn!)  
Don't look down, down, down, down  
Don't look down, down, down, down  
(**Austin:** Don't look down! Don't look down!)  
Don't look down, down, down, down!

I smiled widely when the music stopped. Austin wrapped me in a hug and whispered in my ear, "I'm so proud of you." I thanked the audience and walked off stage where I was pulled into a group hug by my friends and brother.

"You were amazing, Als!" Rydel squealed.

"Thanks."

When the concert was over, Austin thanked the crowd and walked off the stage. Everyone started surrounding him and I just stayed back because when we get back to the house, I'll congratulate him on a job well done. I'm glad I decided that waiting until the competition was over to tell everyone that Austin and I are dating was ridiculous. Whenever we're around each other, all we want to do is kiss and hold each other, but that's difficult when you're around people who don't know you're together.

When we got home, it was already eleven at night since the concert ended at nine and the drive back to the house was two hours. Since everyone was tired, they all went straight to bed. Austin and I decided to stay up a little longer since we didn't get to spend that much time together. We went down to the basement since that's where we get most of our privacy.

We were sitting on the couch, well actually he was, I was on his lap, just enjoying the silence when he decided to speak up. "You were amazing tonight." I smiled and leaned against his chest while he put his head in the crook of my neck.

"So were you." I felt him smile against my neck. He then started kissing the side of my neck and I couldn't help but bite my lip.

"I can't wait to tell everyone that we're dating." He sighed.

"Me too. But you don't think they're gonna be mad at us because we didn't tell them right away, right?"

"I don't think so. But who cares if they are. It was our decision to keep it a secret." He kissed my temple. "Besides, we've only been dating for like, a week."

"True." I got off his lap and grabbed his hand, pulling him up. "We better head to bed." He pouted his lip and shook his head. "If you don't go to bed, I won't kiss you." His eyes widened and he bolted upstairs. I was about to call after him, but he ran back downstairs and crashed his lips onto mine.

We said our good nights and went our separate ways. I took off my makeup and changed into my pajamas before carefully climbing into bed since Trish was asleep and I didn't want to wake her up. I closed my eyes and let sleep take over.

* * *

"Allyson Dawson, wake up!" My eyes snapped open and I noticed an angry Trish hovering over me.

"What?" I groaned.

"What?" She mimicked. "I'll show you what." She handed me her iPad and it looked like an article was popped up. I noticed a picture of Austin and I kissing yesterday in the car followed by the article title. _"Austin Moon Dating Songwriter Ally Dawson?_"

Crap.

**Hope you liked the chapter! And I would just like you guys to know that I probably won't be able to update as frequent because I go back to school. I'll try to update as much as possible, but I don't know if I'll be able to do it every day. Thanks for reading and review! **


	11. Chapter 11

Ally POV

I started laughing nervously and all I wanted to do was hide. I knew we were going to tell them today, but I didn't want them finding out like this. Stupid paparazzi!

"Trish, I can explain." I slowly stood up so we're face to face. She's pretty much scowling at me so I knew she was really mad.

"You better have an explanation as to why there's a picture of you and Austin kissing! And it was taken yesterday!" I flinched at her outburst.

"The reason Austin and I were kissing, is because we're dating." I slowly explained.

Trish froze in place with her jaw slightly dropped. I started waving my hand in front of her face but she didn't even blink.

"Trish?" I asked, quietly. "Are you okay? I get that you're mad-"

"I'm not mad." She said, cutting me off.

"You're not?" My eyes widened at her confession. I actually thought I was going to die tonight.

"I mean I'm a bit mad at the fact that you didn't tell me you guys were dating, but I'm also really happy for you two. You guys are perfect together."

"Thanks Trish." I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug which she gladly returned.

"So how long have you two been sneaking around?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows. I find it kind of creepy when people do that.

"Just a week. We wanted to tell everyone after the competition, but we hated keeping it a secret." I grabbed a hair tie off Rydel's dresser and threw my hair up into a messy bun. "So does everyone know about us?"

"Let's just say that everyone is in the living room interrogating, Austin." She laughed. "Except for Jason which I find weird since he's your older brother."

"Well that's because he already knows." She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "He figured it out on his own." I assured her. I don't need Trish getting angry again.

"Wow, Jason's more observant then the rest of us."

"You got that right."

"So what are we doing today?" She asked me. I picked up my snowboard as a sign to say "I'm snowboarding." "Als, did you not look outside?" I shook my head no. "Well there's a blizzard so we're stuck inside today and possibly tomorrow. There's even a chance the power will go out."

"That's just great." I groaned. "I'm gonna go brush my teeth but I'll meet you downstairs."

"Sure thing." She walked out of the room and I walked into the bathroom. I'm actually really happy that everyone knows about me and Austin being a couple because now we can actually act like one in public.

I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and slipped on my slippers before heading downstairs. I wasn't about to get dressed since we're stuck in the house, so my pajamas will do. Besides, I'm wearing sweatpants and a baggy shirt, I think I'm good.

The second I walked into the living room, all eyes were on me. "What's up?" I asked, as I made a dash towards the kitchen. I opened the fridge, grabbed the orange juice, and poured myself a glass.

"So we read an interesting article." Rydel piped up as I took a sip of my orange juice. Bad idea by the way since I just brushed my teeth.

"Guys, Trish already told me that you saw the article and that you've been down here interrogating Austin."

"Trish!" They all whined.

"Oh hush up!" She yelled.

"I wonder what your dad's going to say." Ryland wondered. My eyed widened and I carefully set down my glass.

"Let's hope he doesn't see the article." I said.

"Als, we know Lester is protective, but I don't think you have anything to worry about." Ross told me.

"When did you start calling my dad Lester?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just now." He grinned.

Austin got off the couch and walked over to me, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Morning."

"Morning," I said back.

Mark and Stormie came downstairs with smiles on both their faces and there was an iPad in Stormie's hand.

"You saw the article, didn't you?" I asked, slightly nervous. I don't even know why I felt nervous since there's no reason to be. But I guess I felt like I needed approval from them because they're like second parents to me.

"Yes we did." Mark grinned. "And all we have to say is congratulations."

"Thanks." Austin and I said in unison. I finished my orange juice and walked back into the living room. "So what are we doing today since we're stuck in here?" I asked, as I took a seat on the couch. Austin sat down next to me and draped his arm around my shoulder.

"We could watch TV?" Riker suggested. We all agreed and Riker put on The Vampire Diaries. That's my favorite show! And it was the newest episode!

"Can Katherine just die already?" I asked, no one in particular. "Like she's dying but she's taking forever."

"So I'm taking that you don't like Katherine?" Austin asked, smirking.

"You know I hate her." He shook his head, laughing.

All of a sudden the doorbell rings and we all look at each other. We're all confused at who could be at the door, but Ross gets up and answers it.

"What are you doing here?" Ross asked, anger evident in his voice. I turned my head to see Eric, standing at the door. Are you kidding me!?

"Look, I locked myself out and no one's home. Can I just stay here until my parents come home?" Eric asked, shivering from the cold. I almost felt bad for him. What? I said almost. Ross looked at me for approval and I nodded.

"You gonna be okay?" Austin whispered in my ear. I turned to him and nodded. He kissed my forehead and I rested my head on his chest.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Lynch." Eric greeted Mark and Stormie. I guess they don't know that Eric's a dick. And I don't think they even know they he's the reason Riker broke his arm a few years ago. Today's really going to suck.

"Hello Eric, how are you?" Stormie asked.

"I'm great, thanks."

"Please shoot me." I mumbled. Austin started rubbing my back since that usually calms me down. Too bad it didn't really work this time. "Can we go work on the song?"

"Sure." He took my hand, pulled me off the couch and we made our way upstairs, not even glancing at Eric. When we walked into Rydel's room, I immediately collapsed onto my bed.

"Why does he have to be here?" I asked, frustrated as hell. I sat up and put my head in my hands. "Couldn't we just leave him outside?" I felt the bed shift and I heard Austin chuckle. I lifted my head and looked at him.

"Would it really make you feel better if we left him outside while there's a blizzard?"

"Honestly? Yes." I got off the bed and walked over to the window. "Damn, it's really coming down." I commented about the snowfall.

"Well yeah, it's a blizzard."

"Shut up." I said, playfully shoving him. "Alright, I'm not in the mood to write a song anymore." I plopped down next to Austin. "What do you want to do?"

"I think we both know what I want to do." He said, smirking.

"You're such a boy." I giggled. "But I love you."

"I love you too. Now kiss me." I smiled and crashed my lips onto his. Since we were sitting, he put his hands on my hips and pulled me onto his lap so I was now straddling him. My arms instinctively went around his neck. His tongue went across my bottom lip, begging for entrance. I would be a bad girlfriend if I didn't oblige, now wouldn't I?

"Austin! Ally!" Rydel called, as she started knocking on the door. We both pulled apart and groaned.

"What!?" I yelled back.

"We're decorating the house for Christmas, want to help!?" I looked at Austin for an answer and he nodded. I got off his lap and walked towards the door, opening it.

"We'll be right down. But please tell me Eric isn't helping."

"Don't worry, he's down in the basement."

"Thank god." She chuckled and went back downstairs. I walked back over to Austin who was slightly pouting. "What's with you?"

"Rydel interrupted our make out session."

I laughed and shook my head. "Only you would say something like that." I bent down and pecked his lips. "Now let's go decorate." I grabbed his hand and laced our fingers together before bolting out of the room.

When we walked into the living room, I noticed a bunch of boxes with Christmas decorations. And in the corner of the living room, I noticed a Christmas tree.

"Okay, when did that get there?" I asked, pointing to the tree.

"Last night, but we were too tired to notice." Ryland explained. I nodded.

"Alright, who's gonna decorate the tree and who's gonna decorate the house?" Rydel asked.

"How about Ally, Dez, Trish, and I decorate the tree and the rest of you decorate the house?" Austin suggested.

"Sure." "Sounds good." "Cool." They all responded.

Austin grabbed one of the boxes that was filled with ornaments and brought it over to the tree. We all bent down and grabbed a couple of ornaments to put on the tree. There was one ornament that I came across and I tried so hard to stifle my laughter.

Do you know how some ornaments can have pictures inside of them? Well this ornament has a picture of my boyfriend, and he's naked in the bathtub. By looking at the picture, he was probably three or four years old. I couldn't stop looking at the picture and before I knew it, I was laughing.

"What's so funny?" Trish asked. She walked over and grabbed the ornament out of my hand. She looked at it for about a second before joining in on the laughter.

"Okay, what's so funny?" Austin, asked, slightly giggling. That just caused us to laugh more. I was now clutching my stomach and tears threatened to fall.

"Dude, they must be laughing at the ornament Trish is holding." Dez told him. Now he decided to be smart and observant? Austin grabbed the ornament out of Trish's hand and immediately his face paled.

"NO!" He whined and yelled. I don't know why, but the second he did that, I fell to the ground, still laughing my ass off. "Guys, it's not that funny!"

"What are they laughing at?" Dez asked.

"Dez, you will never know." He said, dramatically. "Can you guys please stop laughing?" He begged. I took a few deep breaths and my laughter started to die down. I managed to pull myself up so I was now standing, but I was still giggling.

"I so need a copy of that picture!" Trish exclaimed, smirking. Knowing her, she would use it as blackmail.

"Hell no!" Austin yelled. "I'm hiding this ornament and no one will ever see this again!" He ran towards the basement and I couldn't help but smile. He came back a few minutes later with a grin plastered on his face. "You will never find it." He said. I rolled my eyes at my crazy boyfriend.

After we were done decorating the tree, I wanted to take a picture of it, but when I reached into my back pocket for my phone, I realized it wasn't there. "Guys, do you remember where I left my phone?"

"Uh, I think you left it in the basement." Austin told. I groaned. Eric's still in the basement and I really don't want to see him. But I need my phone.

I walked towards the basement and I started hesitating when I gripped the doorknob. I hate how Eric makes me feel small and useless. I turned the doorknob and opened the door. When I made my way downstairs, I noticed Eric was on the couch, engrossed in the TV. I spotted my phone was on the table next to the couch and I mentally groaned. The universe hates me, right?

"Hello Allyson." Eric greeted when I walked over towards the table. I ignored him and went straight for my phone. But he grabbed it before I had the chance to.

"Give me my phone." I demanded through gritted teeth. I tried snatching it out of his hand but he grabbed my wrist and held it back. "Let me go!" I growled.

"Now why would I do that?" He got off the couch, my wrist still in his hand, and pulled me towards the closet that's down in the basement. I do not like where this is going.

The second we were both in the closet, he shut and locked the door. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked, my blood boiling.

"This." He said. My eyes widened when he crashed his lips onto mine.

Unlike Austin, his kiss was hard and sloppy. I tried pushing him off, but he slammed me against the door and put my hands above my head. He was still kissing me but I was not kissing back. I did the only thing I could think of. I kneed him where the sun don't shine. He pulled away and groaned. I saw fury in his eyes and I know I really pissed him off.

"You bitch." He growled. He grabbed my head and slammed it against the door. That's when everything went black.


	12. Chapter 12

Austin POV

"Guys, what's taking Ally so long?" Trish asked. We decided to relax and watch some TV since we finished decorating the tree. Ally went to get her phone about ten minutes ago but she still hasn't come back up.

"You don't think Eric did anything, do you?" Dez asked, worry evident in his voice. My eyes widened and I mentally slapped myself.

"I'm so stupid!" I shouted, as I bolted down to the basement, Trish and Dez hot on my trail. The second my feet reached the basement floor, I saw Eric walk out of the closet. A smirk was plastered on his face.

"Where's Ally!?" I yelled as I grabbed his shirt collar. Since he was pretty strong, he pried my hands off him and walked upstairs. "Guys, can you get rid of him?" I asked, Trish and Dez. They nodded and went after him.

I ran towards the closet and opened the door. My eyed widened when I saw Ally on the floor, unconscious. I bent down and picked her up bridal style. I carefully laid her down on the couch and sat down by her feet.

"Als!" What the hell did he do to her? "Baby, wake up!" A piece of hair fell on her face so I gently moved it. I felt tears prick my eyes but I didn't let them fall. "Als, please wake up." I whispered.

After a few minutes, she started to stir so I placed my hands on her shoulders to calm her down. Her eyes slowly opened and she squinted. "Austin?"

"Yeah, Als. What happened?" She slowly sat up and placed a hand on her head. "Did he hurt you?" My voice was low but you could tell that I was angry.

"I-I tried getting my phone without Eric noticing that I was down here, but he grabbed it before I could. When I tried snatching it out of his hand, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the closet. He t-then…" She stopped and let a few tears fall. "He then kissed me and I couldn't get him to stop."

That son of a bitch kissed her! I swear I could kill him! "But when I found you, you were on the floor unconscious."

"That's because when I was able to get him off me, he got really mad and slammed my head against the door." My jaw dropped slightly and my eyes widened.

"Als," I spoke softly. "We need to tell the police about him."

"I-I know." She whispered. "But we can't today because of the blizzard."

"Then we'll go as soon as we're allowed to leave the house." She nodded. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. But where's Eric?"

"Trish and Dez got rid of him because if they didn't, I would've done something I'd regret."

She slowly stood up and I followed suit. "Damn, my head really hurts." She muttered as she held her head.

"Come on, let's go stairs and I'll get you some Advil." I gently placed my hand on her back and led her upstairs. "Go on up to Rydel's room and lay down. I'll be right there with the Advil." She nodded and I kissed her temple before she went up to Rydel's room.

I walked into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet, grabbing the Advil bottle. I took out two pills before walking out and heading towards the kitchen. Trish and Dez were sitting at the island drinking hot chocolate.

"Where's Ally?" Trish asked.

"Resting." I answered. I opened the cupboard, grabbed a cup, and filled it with water. "I'll tell you what happened once I give these," I held up the Advil. "To Ally." I finished. I made my way upstairs and entered the room to find Ally lying down on her side.

"Hey." She said, as she sat up. I sat down on the bed and handed her the water and Advil's. "Thanks." She popped the pills in her mouth and downed the water.

"Are you okay?" I asked, softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She lied back down and I pulled the blanket over her.

"Get some sleep." She nodded and I bent down and kissed her forehead. "Love you, Als."

"Love you too, Austin." I walked out of the room and closed the door behind me before walking downstairs. I walked back over to Trish and Dez and took a seat at the island.

"Before I tell you what happened to Ally, what did you did to Eric? You guys are my best friends and I know you wouldn't just kick him out." I said, but I was mainly talking to Trish.

"Well once we dragged him out of the house, I kind of broke a few of his fingers." Trish said, smirking. I gaped at her but couldn't help but laugh.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't compete in the competition." Dez said. I smiled widely at the thought of that.

"So what did that bastard do to Ally?" Trish asked, her fists clenched.

"He slammed her head against the closet door after she hit him in a certain place boys never want to be hit." I cringed at the thought of Ally getting hurt again.

"Why the hell were they in the closet?"

"Eric dragged her in there and started kissing her." My blood started to boil just thinking about Eric kissing her. Eric's so lucky he only has broken fingers because if I would've gotten my hands on him, he would probably be dead.

"That bastard needs to be thrown in jail." Dez said, anger evident in his voice. He was serious and when Dez is serious, you know he means business.

"Hey, where are my cousins?" I asked. You would think I would've seen them when I went upstairs.

"They're in the basement decorating." So I'm guessing they finished decorating the upstairs. Huh, you would think I would've noticed since I was just up there.

We walked into the living room and decided to watch some TV so we could forget about Eric, which I found hard to do. I don't understand how someone can be so cruel to an innocent girl like, Ally.

Just as a commercial for the new Zalian's movie came on, the power went out. We all groaned since we really wanted to see the commercial. All of a sudden there was screaming coming down from the basement and I know why. That's' exactly why I busted out laughing.

"Should we go help them?" Dez asked.

"N-no, let them find their way up on their own." I told him, trying to stop my laughter. Since there's no windows down in the basement, without any lights on, its pitch black and you can't see. I just hope they realize that they could use their phones for light.

A few minutes later, the door to the basement opened, revealing my cousins. They all had tears in their eyes and they were laughing. Well, except for Ryland who was glaring at them.

"What happened?" I asked, slightly chuckling.

"Ryland…couch...face." Rydel managed to get out since she was laughing uncontrollably. After a couple of minutes, they managed to stop laughing which I was kind of thankful for. My cousins are really loud laughers.

"Where's Ally?" Riker asked, as he took a seat next to me.

"And where's Eric?" Rocky added.

"She's sleeping." I answered. "And as for Eric, he's probably at home nursing his broken fingers."

All my cousins looked at me like I was crazy but I just shrugged. "Look, Eric hurt Ally so I broke his fingers." Trish explained.

"He did what!?" Rydel yelled. I winced since she yelled right in my ear. "I'm going to kill that jackass."

"Join the club." I muttered. I can't wait to have that dick arrested.

Ally POV

What did I do to deserve the pain that Eric has caused me? I get that he has anger issues, but why does he need to take his anger out on me?

After Austin left, I tried falling asleep but I just couldn't. Every time I closed my eyes, I was back in the closet with Eric. If I hadn't of hit him in his special area, then he probably would've gone farther than just kissing. The thought of him sexually assaulting me makes me want to throw up.

Since sleeping isn't an option for me, I decided to head downstairs and be with the people I love. They always put me in a good mood.

When I got downstairs, I noticed that everyone was in the living room just sitting on the couch, candles around them since the power was out. "Hey guys."

"Hey, Als." They all greeted. I walked over to Austin and sat in his lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I leaned back so I was leaning against his chest. "How are you feeling?" He whispered.

"I'm fine. My head hurts a little but not as much as before." I whispered back. "Does everyone know what happened?"

"Trish and Dez do, but my cousins don't. They just know you got hurt." I nodded against his chest.

"I don't want them knowing what happened so let's not tell them."

"Okay, that's fine."

The room was filled with silence since we weren't doing anything and I hated it. "Guys, let's do something." Trish said, breaking the silence. Thank you Trish.

"What exactly do you want to do?" Riker asked. That's when an idea hit me.

"Austin, you have your acoustic guitar, right?" I asked. I craned my neck so I could see his face. I think he got what I was saying because he smiled. I got off his lap and he ran upstairs. He came back a few seconds later with his acoustic in his hand.

"Alright, which song?" Austin asked me.

I thought for a moment before I snapped my fingers. _"Steal Your Heart."_ He grinned and started strumming his guitar.

_You like the good boys_  
_So I'm not invited to the plans you make_  
_When you're with your friends_

_But you know bad boys_  
_You can't deny it_  
_They can always show you where the fun begins_

At this point of the song, we were all singing along and it was great.

_Hey now baby,_  
_No doubt about it, girl_  
_You drive me crazy _  
_I'm pleading guilty to the way you make me_  
_Wanna steal your heart_  
_Steal your heart_

_Call me criminal _  
_I won't deny you make me want it all,_  
_Everything you are_

_So lock it up _  
_Go on and try it _  
_No matter what you do _  
_I'm gonna steal your heart_

_I confess,_  
_I kinda like it that you're innocent_  
_Keeping up your guard_

_I'll break it down_  
_So you can't hide it _  
_No matter what you do_  
_I'm gonna steal your heart_

_You're a good girl_  
_The perfect picture of an angel's smile_  
_From a magazine_

_But it's a new world_  
_And I know so well the side of you_  
_No one's ever seen_

_Hey now baby,_  
_No doubt about it, girl_  
_You drive me crazy _  
_I'm pleading guilty to the way you make me_  
_Wanna steal your heart_  
_Steal your heart_

_Call me criminal _  
_I won't deny you make me want it all,_  
_Everything you are_

_So lock it up _  
_Go on and try it _  
_No matter what you do _  
_I'm gonna steal your heart_

_I confess,_  
_I kinda like it that you're innocent_  
_Keeping up your guard_

_I'll break it down_  
_So you can't hide it _  
_No matter what you do_  
_I'm gonna steal your heart_

_You're gonna keep it_  
_Just like a secret_  
_Baby, believe me_  
_You gotta free it_  
_And you'll have everything you need_

_You like the good boys_  
_So I'm not invited to the plans you make_  
_When you're with your friends_

_But you know bad boys_  
_You can't deny it_  
_They can always show you where the fun begins_

_Call me criminal _  
_I won't deny you make me want it all,_  
_Everything you are_

_So lock it up _  
_Go on and try it _  
_No matter what you do _  
_I'm gonna steal your heart_

_I confess,_  
_I kinda like it that you're innocent_  
_Keeping up your guard_

_I'll break it down_  
_So you can't hide it _  
_No matter what you do_  
_I'm gonna steal your heart_

Once he strummed the last chord, we broke out into applause. I'm kind of glad the power went out because that was a lot of fun.

"That was great!" Rydel commented, squealing in the process.

"Yeah, good thinking Als." Trish said.

"Thanks." I grinned. "So do you think we'll be able to head over to Storm Valley tomorrow?"

"Who knows, but I really hope so." Ross said.

"Yeah, I hate not snowboarding." I frowned.

"Then what do you do in Miami?" Rocky asked.

"I dream about snowboarding." Everyone chuckled.

"Like I said before, I could always teach you how to surf." My boyfriend told me.

"And like I said before, hell no." He shook his head and kissed my cheek. "Hey, I have another idea."

"What?"

"Let's all sleep down here tonight." They all looked at each other and nodded. "Yay!"

Although sleeping in the living room was my idea, I don't even think I'm gonna be sleeping. But hopefully being around the people I love helps. I wish Jason was part of this, but apparently he's spending the night at his friend's house.

Although the Lynches had air mattresses, we couldn't use them since there was no power. So, we were stuck using sleeping bags but I was totally fine with that. When everyone was busy in their own conversations, Austin told me that I was sleeping in his sleeping bag. How could I say no to that?

We all went upstairs so we could change in our pajamas and brush our teeth. Do you know how difficult doing all that in the dark is? I don't know how, but I was one of the first ones done, so I went back downstairs. As I walked back into the living room, I noticed Austin was already down there, in the sleeping bag.

"Someone's anxious to get to sleep." I said, chuckling. I walked over to him and got in his sleeping bag, my back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and brought me closer, if that was even possible.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, since we were still alone.

"Austin, I'm fine." I lied. I don't need him worrying about me. He's been doing that too much and I hate it.

"Alright, but if you want to talk to me I'm here."

"I know, thank you." I craned my neck and pecked his lips.

I felt my eyes getting heavy and I was not about to force them to stay open. The last thing I heard before I fell asleep was Austin whispering, "Goodnight baby girl."


	13. Chapter 13

Ally POV

"Als," I heard a faint voice. I opened my eyes and noticed Austin hovering over me. I was still in the sleeping bag and everyone was still sleeping. Wow, I'm really surprised that I managed to fall asleep.

"What time is it?" I asked. I sat up and softly rubbed my eyes.

"It's eight in the morning but I thought we could head over to the police station before we go to Storm Valley."

"We're actually allowed out of the house?" I asked, letting out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, the roads are clear and so are the sidewalks so we're good to go." I nodded and removed myself from the sleeping bag. "Oh, and the power's back on." He added.

I nodded again. "Give me fifteen minutes to get ready." I carefully walked around the sleeping bodies of my friends and made my way upstairs. I wasn't about to dress nicely for the police station so it shouldn't take me long to get ready.

I brushed my teeth, threw my hair into a high ponytail, and added a little bit of cover up before changing into my clothes. I decided to wear sweatpants and a sweatshirt followed by my Ugg boots. I put on my jacket, since it's freezing outside, before heading back downstairs.

"How are we getting there exactly?" I whispered, walking towards Austin who was standing by the front door.

"We're taking Riker's car." I raised my eyebrow and gave him a skeptical look. "I talked to him last night about it, we're good." I nodded. He grabbed the car keys off the hook before we walked out of the house.

The police station was only ten minutes away, so I spent that time freaking out. On the inside of course. I don't want Austin to see me have a mental breakdown or something. I hate to be seen as someone who is vulnerable and weak, but that's how I am and I owe that all to Eric. I will forever hate him.

When we get to the police station, Austin parks the car and I step out. I kind of just stare at the building, not really wanting to go in. "Als, you have to do this." Austin told me softly. He took my hand and laced our fingers together.

Walking into the police station was a bit overwhelming. It took everything I had not to bolt out of there, but running away from my problem isn't going to help.

"Ally Dawson?" I heard a voice. I whipped my head around to see Mary Evans, and old family friend. I completely forgot she was a police officer.

"Hi Mary." She smiled and wrapped me in a tight hug.

Mary Evans is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. Except when it comes to criminals, then she'll turn into the devil. It's kind of funny actually.

"Aren't you Austin Moon?" She asked, Austin. He smiled and nodded.

"That's me, nice to meet you."

"My daughters are huge fans."

"Awesome, maybe I could autograph some stuff for them?"

"That would be great." Mary turned back to me. "So why are you here, Ally?"

"I'm uh, here to report Eric Collins."

Once I said his name, I knew there was no turning back. Mary took us into an interrogation room so we could talk in private, which I was sort of grateful for. I mean just talking about the abuse in general is hard enough, but I don't need a bunch of strangers listening in on the conversation.

So we spent about an hour in the interrogation room discussing Eric and how he abused me. Talking about the abuse always makes me feel weak and vulnerable and all I want to do is curl up in a ball and cry. But when I was telling Mary all of this, I didn't shed a single tear. I can't let Eric control me anymore so I can't show him that I'm weak. He's no longer going to mess with Ally Dawson.

"Alright Ally, we'll call you if we need you to come down." Mary told me as we walked out of the interrogation room. I nodded. Austin signed some stuff for Mary's daughters before we left the police station. Walking out of there, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

When we got home, we walked inside to find that everyone was awake and dressed for Storm Valley.

"Where were you guys?" Rydel asked.

"We had to take care of something, don't worry about it." Austin explained. I looked over at Riker who smiled, since he knew what we did.

"Fine, but go get ready so we could leave." Rocky said, pushing us towards the stairs. I couldn't help but laugh at his eagerness.

It only took me a couple of minutes to change into my snowboarding gear since I was already dressed from before. I was about to head back downstairs when the sirens of a police car stopped me. I ran towards the window to see a cop car stop in front of Eric's house. Did I mention that he lives right across from the Lynches? I didn't? Well now you know.

Mary stepped out of the car and walked up to Eric's house. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer. I couldn't help but laugh when Eric was the one who answered. His face was a mixture of pure shock and confusion. He's getting what he deserved.

I watch Eric get handcuffed and shoved into the police car and that's when I do a victory dance. All of this shit with Eric is finally over.

"Yo, Eric was just arrested!" That's the first thing I heard when I entered the living room. I smiled and there was no point in hiding my happiness.

"Als, did you see what just happened?" Trish asked, running over to me.

"Yeah I did. I'm the reason he got arrested." They all looked at me, except for Riker, with confusion. "Austin and I went to the police station this morning and I reported him." That's when everyone starts cheering. I seriously love my friends.

"Alright, are we ready to go?" Austin asked, popping up next to me. He noticed that we were all happy and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Eric was just arrested." I told him. He grinned like an idiot and crashed his lips onto mine.

"Ew! No PDA!" Trish yelled. I pulled away from the kiss and glared at her. "Don't look at me like that. We don't need to see you two sucking faces."

"Just wait till you get a boyfriend." Austin said. Trish blushed and smiled nervously. Is she hiding something?

"Can we go already?" Ryland asked. Well someone's impatient.

We piled up into the cars and sped off towards Storm Valley. Seeing Eric get arrested put me in a really good mood and no one could bring me down.

Ross was the first one to use the half-pipe so while everyone was watching him, I decided to keep an eye on Trish because she acted weird before. I noticed that Trish was standing a lot closer to Dez and she wasn't even killing him. That's not like Trish at all.

I nudged Austin nodded my way towards Trish and Dez. "What about them?" He asked.

"Don't you notice that they're standing closer to each other and they're not even fighting?"

"Yeah, so?" I rolled my eyes.

"Don't you see it?"

"See what?"

"Oh my god, Austin!" I whisper yelled. "I'm almost a hundred percent positive that they're dating."

If he was drinking something, he would've done a spit take. "Trish and Dez dating? I don't think so."

"Well I do." I crossed my arms over my chest and smirked.

We spent a few hours at Storm Valley practicing for the competition and I have a really good feeling about this year. I'm not going to say that we're going to win, but I hope we do. We win every year because we put in the hard work. Without practice and hard work, you won't have a shot at winning.

When we got home, we all ran upstairs and changed into more comfortable clothes. For me, comfortable clothes mean sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. I grabbed my cellphone off the bed side table before heading back downstairs.

"Alright, what do you guys want to do?" Rydel asked. Everyone was sitting on the couch except for me who was sitting on Austin's lap.

"Let's play truth or dare!" Rocky exclaimed. I groaned.

"I hate that game!" I whined.

"Come on, Als. Please?" Austin asked. He was using his baby voice which he knew I couldn't resist. I sighed and agreed.

We decided to sit in a circle on the floor to play this game. I'm so not looking forward to this.

"Okay, who's first?" Ross asked.

"Riker." Ryland said.

"Alright." He said. "Rocky? Truth or dare?"

"Dare." He smirked.

"I dare you to go next door and ask Alex out on a date." That doesn't seem so bad, right? Well wait for it.

"But Alex is a guy!" There it is.

"Don't care, it's a dare." Ha, that rhymed! Sorry, it's the songwriter in me. "And Ross will go with you so he can record the entire thing."

"I hate you guys." He mumbled before standing up. Ross followed suit and in a matter of seconds they were out the door. I can't wait to watch the video!

After a few minutes of waiting for Rocky and Ross to come back, the front door flew open and in walked in an unamused Rocky and a hysterical Ross. Like, he was tomato red because he was laughing so hard.

"That was awesome!" Ross laughed. He took out his phone and played the video.

The video started with Rocky ringing the doorbell and waiting for an answer. Alex was the one to open the door and you could hear Ross laughing in the video.

_"Hey Rocky, what's up?" Alex asked, leaning against the doorframe._

_"Hey Alex, I-I was just w-wondering if y-you w-wanted to go out some t-time?" He stuttered out. _

_Alex's eyes widened. "Like on a date?"_

_"Uh, yeah." Rocky squeaked. _

_"I would love to, Rocky!" He kisses Rocky on the cheek. "Text me later!" And with that he shuts the door. _

Ross ended the video and we all stared at Rocky before breaking out into fits of laughter.

"T-that w-was g-great!" Riker managed to get out.

"I seriously hate you guys." Rocky mumbled.

"Okay, okay, Rocky, it's your turn." I said, controlling my laughter.

"Fine, Riker, truth or dare?"

"Uh, truth."

"What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?"

Riker's face paled and I knew this was going to be good. "Well a couple of years ago when everyone was out of the house, I decided to have a little dance session," He paused and gulped. "Naked." He finished.

We all busted out laughing but he apparently he wasn't finished. "I was still in the middle of my dance session when mom and dad came home and saw me." He turned red as a tomato and we laughed even more.

We continued laughing for a few minutes but Riker kept on glaring at us so we stopped.

"Alright, Ally, you're up." Ryland said.

"Trish, truth or dare?" She'll pick dare and I know the perfect dare.

"Dare." Told ya!

"I dare you to play seven minutes in heaven with Dez." Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. But she wasn't angry. I saw a blush appear on her cheeks.

"Well are you going to do it?" Austin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." She whispered, grabbing Dez's wrist and pulling him up. They walked down the hall and entered the closet.

"I told you they're dating." I told Austin.

"Just because she agreed to do seven minutes in heaven with Dez, does not mean they're dating." He's so stubborn.

Seven minutes passed and Trish and Dez finally came out. Trish's hair was a mess and Dez's shirt was slightly opened since he was wearing a buttoned up shirt.

"Did you guys have sex?" Rocky asked, causing my jaw to drop.

"Don't make me punch you." Trish said, raising her first. Rocky shrunk.

We spent the next half hour playing truth or dare, and because of this stupid game, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be sick by tomorrow. Want to know why? I made the mistake of choosing dare, so Trish, of course she did this to me, made me go outside in just my bra and underwear and run around. But Austin came with me and did the same thing, just in his boxers.

I have to say that today was actually a good day. Eric was arrested and I don't have to deal with him anymore, and I had an amazing time with my friends. I'm gonna be really sad when we have to leave Colorado.

**Boom! Chapter done! So who thinks the Eric drama is really over? Reviews would be nice! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Ally POV

"Get up, get up, get up!" I chanted as I jumped up and down on Rydel's bed.

"Als, knock it off." She groaned.

"No! Get your lazy ass up because it's Christmas!" She shot up with the biggest smile on her face. "Finally!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air.

"Would you guys shut the hell up!?" Trish yelled. If you haven't noticed, she's not a morning person. I got off Rydel's bed and jumped on our bed.

"Come on, Trish. Its Christmas morning! Don't you want to open your gifts?" I asked, knowing that the gift part would make her get out of bed.

She slowly sat up with a grin on her face. "You have a good point, Als. Come on, let's go downstairs!" She practically ran out of the room, Rydel following her. I decided to wake up Austin and Dez, but mostly Austin.

I tip-toed into their room and silently giggled to myself when I saw how Austin and Dez sleep in the guestroom. Since there's only one bed, they sleep together, but I always thought they try to sleep on separate sides of the bed. Yeah, I was wrong. Dez's head is on Austin's chest and Austin's arm is wrapped around Dez's waist. I quickly took a picture of the scene in front of me before jumping on their bed.

"WAKE UP!" I yelled. Their eyes shot open and they screamed. Why is it that two of my best guy friends have girly screams? I mean Austin's scream is the girliest, but still.

"Ally, what the hell!? Austin exclaimed, trudging out of bed. His lips were pursed in a straight line and his arms were crossed over his chest.

"I wouldn't be mad at me if I were you." I told him. He raised an eyebrow and gave me a confused look. I whipped out my phone and showed him the picture. He started laughing nervously with wide eyes and all I could do was smirk.

"You're not going to show that to anyone, right?" He was twiddling with his thumbs and his face was red as a tomato. I smirked and shrugged my shoulders.

"You never know." I averted my eyes and looked at Dez. He was on the floor, face first. "Uh, Dez? What are you doing?" He lifts his head and glances at us.

"I'm smelling the carpet. Duh!" I give Austin a strange look and he just shrugs.

"It's Dez. You should know that he's strange by now."

"True." I agreed. "Now let's head downstairs because I'm almost positive that everyone's waiting for us."

"Alright, let's go. Dez, get off the floor and come on!" Dez stands up and runs out of the room.

"I'm still not used to his weirdness." I commented.

"Yeah, but if he wasn't weird, then he wouldn't be Dez." He said and I agreed. "Oh, I forgot something." I was about to question what he forgot, but I got my answer when he captured my lips with his own.

"Maybe you should forget thing more often." I smirked.

"Maybe I should." He pecked my lips once more before grabbing my hand and lacing our fingers together. We left his room and walked downstairs where everyone was sitting around and having a good time.

"Finally!" They all exclaimed. Austin and I put our hands up in defense and apologized for being late. Even though there isn't really a time limit for opening gifts, but whatever.

We were all sitting by the tree, anxious to open our gifts, but at the moment, I didn't care about the gifts. Why should I care about gifts when I have an amazing family and amazing friends in my life? Sure, gifts make you happy but for how long? Family and friends make you happy all the time and I think that's the best gift.

We spent the next hour opening and admiring our gifts, and I almost died when I saw the look on Austin's face when he opened his gift. It was the guitar he's wanted for a while and he was totally in love with it.

"Als, I can't believe you got me the Fender FSR Standard Ash Telecaster Electric Guitar!" He exclaimed, wrapping me in a bone crushing hug.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Like it!? I love it! Seriously, you're the best." I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"You do have one more gift from me, but I want to give it to you in private."

"As do I." He said. "I want to be alone with you when I give you your gift." I smiled and nodded.

When Rydel, Riker, Rocky, Ross, and Ryland opened their gifts, which were new snowboards courtesy of me, they couldn't stop smiling. I was also tackled into a major group hug. As for Trish, I got her a new leopard purse which she really loved. For Dez, I got him a turtle. Don't ask me why, I just did. But since Dez is Dez, he just had to name the turtle a name that didn't fit. He named it bunny. Like what is wrong with him. But as long as he's happy I'm happy.

I also got a gift for Mark and Stormie since their like second parents to me, but when they opened their gift, they stared at me in disbelief. I got them two tickets to Hawaii. It's a good thing I have a job or else I'd be completely broke. And for Jason, I bought him a new Rolex watch that he's had eyes on for a while.

As for my gifts, I got a new snowboard from the Lynches, a couch purse from Trish, and a music note necklace, believe it or not, that was from Dez. He actually has good taste. From Jason, I got a new phone because apparently my phone was too old fashioned. Who cares if I still used a flip phone? But I have to admit, having an iPhone is pretty awesome.

After we sat around in the living room for a while, Austin and I excused ourselves so we could exchange the rest of our gifts. I really hope he likes the guitar pick.

"Alright," He started. "When I give you my gift, don't freak out because it's not what it looks like." He chuckled. I smiled and nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a red velvet box. He opened it and I gasped. Inside was a heart ring with diamond accents.

"A-Austin, it's beautiful." I breathed out. He smiled and slipped the ring onto my finger.

"It's a promise ring. So you know that I'm always going to be there for you no matter what. I'll never leave you because I can't imagine my life without you. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me and I never want to lose you."

I cupped his face and kissed him passionately. "You'll never lose me." I whispered against his lips. He smiled and placed a soft kiss on my lips. "Alright, ready for the other part of your gift?" I asked. He nodded vigorously.

I walked over to Rydel's dresser and opened the drawer that contained the box. I reached down and grabbed the box, hiding it behind my back so he wouldn't see.

"Okay, close your eyes." I ordered. He was about to protest but I sent a glare his way and he shut his eyes. I sat down next to him and opened the box that contained the guitar pick. "You can open your eyes now."

He did as told and his mouth dropped when he saw the guitar pick. "This is fucking awesome!" He removed the pick from the box and read the engraving. It read, _'To my favorite Rockstar' _on one side of the pick and on the other side it read, _'Love, Als.' _I even had my uncle paint the pick yellow since that's his favorite color.

"Ally, this is incredible, thank you." He captured my lips into a slow and passionate kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Should we get back down there?"

"I don't know." I answered truthfully. "I'm kind of enjoying this moment with you right now."

"Me too. But I have an idea."

"What would that be Mr. Moon?" He smiled and shook his head.

"I thought that we could trick Dez and Trish into getting under the mistletoe so we could see if there is something going on between them."

"That is a good idea. Good thinking babe."

"Thanks." He put the pick back in the box and set it down on the bed. "Let's head back down." He wove our fingers together as we made our way downstairs.

But there was one thing I wasn't expecting when we walked back into the living room. "Well looks like our plan isn't going to work." Austin whispered in my ear. I looked at him and nodded. Our plan to get Trish and Dez to kiss under the mistletoe is pointless now since that's what they're doing at the moment.

"And you hate it when we kiss?" Austin asked, interrupting their kiss, or should I say make out session. They pulled away and blushed. "So are you two together now?" He asked, slightly confused.

"Uh, yeah. We are." Dez admitted.

"Wow, when did that happen?" I asked.

"A few days ago." Trish said. "We were hanging out in the basement alone and one thing led to another and…here we are." She smiled nervously. I couldn't help but chuckle at my friend's nervousness. I walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm happy for you two." I told her.

"Thanks, Als." She glanced at my left hand and gasped. "Is that..?"

"Relax Trish, it's a promise ring." She smiled widely and hugged me.

"You guys are perfect for each other. I'm really glad you guys got back together."

"Me too." I looked at Austin and smiled. He noticed a sent a wink my way. He was busy talking to Dez and his cousins were talking to their parents. Jason was…actually, I don't know where Jason is. I walked over to Mark and Stormie hoping that they knew.

"Uh, Mark, Stormie? Do you know where Jason went?" They looked at me and gave me a sad smile. I knew what that meant. "He went to the cemetery?" I asked. They nodded.

Every time we come to Colorado, Jason visits our mom at the cemetery but I never had the heart to go. The reason he always goes on Christmas, is because she died on Christmas.

"Um, I'll be back a little later." I told Mark and Stormie.

"You're going?" She asked, shocked. She knows I never want to go.

"Yeah, I think it's time I finally went." She gave me another sad smile. I walked over towards the coat rack and grabbed my jacket. I slipped on my boots and just as I was about to walk out, Austin walked over.

"Where are you going?"

"To the cemetery. I'll be back soon." I pecked his lips and walked out.

The cemetery was walking distance so it took me only ten minutes to get there. I spotted Jason as soon as I got there. He was by her grave, hugging his knees to his chest. As I walked closer to him, I noticed that he had been crying.

"Jay?" I asked, quietly. He looked away from mom's headstone and turned his gaze towards me.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, softly. I sat down next to him and leaned against his side.

"I thought it was time I finally visit mom."

"You know she'd be proud of you?"

"She's be proud of you too." I looked up at him and smiled. "Do you think she's watching over us?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I do. But I have a feeling she's watching over dad at the moment because who knows what trouble he gets into when he's alone." He chuckled. I laughed and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I wish dad was here celebrating Christmas with us."

"Me too, Als. But he had to go back and watch the store."

"I know." He stood up and looked down at me.

"I'm gonna head back. You coming?" I shook my head no.

"I want to stay here a little longer. Just tell everyone I'll be back whenever."

"Alright, love you."

"Love you too." I waited until he was completely gone before I started talking. "Hey mom, it's Ally." I could already feel the tears form in my eyes. "I know I never visited before, but that's just because I was too scared. I know that sounds silly, but it's how I felt. Never visiting you kind of made me feel like you were still here, like you were just away on a vacation or business. But seeing your grave shows me that you're really gone." I let a few tears fall down my cheeks before continuing.

"I know you died when I was really young, but I still have a couple of memories of the two of us. I remember this one time we went to the beach and I was too afraid to go in the water so you threw me over your shoulder and ran in the water. I was crying when you did that and to make me feel better, you promised me that we would build a sandcastle. That day at the beach is one of my favorite memories that I actually remember."

"I love you, mom. I'm so sorry that I never came to see you, but I promise that every time I come to Colorado, I'll visit you. I'll never forget you." I stood up and wiped away my tears. With one last glance at my mom's grave, I walked away and made my way towards the house.

This was definitely the best Christmas ever.

**I just want to thank everyone for the reviews! I have over 100! Like, you don't understand how happy that makes me! This is my most successful story and I couldn't be more proud. Thanks for reading. **


	15. Chapter 15

Ally POV

Today's the day of the competition and I'm excited as hell, but I'm also nervous. I honestly don't know why I'm nervous since I compete every year. I'm just so happy that my friends and family get to watch me and the Lynches compete. It's the first year that Austin, Dez, and Uncle Danny get to watch us compete and it's the first year that my dad won't be here.

I know Rydel is happy that Jake is coming to watch since they're dating. That's right, Jake and Rydel are finally dating. I think they're so cute together and I can tell that they really like each other, maybe even love. I know they just started dating, but they've liked each other for years so I wouldn't be surprised if they were in love. That's what happened with me and Austin.

Since The Blizzard Competition isn't until tonight, we decided to just hang around the house and relax. We've practiced enough and we're ready to compete.

ALLY!" Austin yelled, snapping me out of my thoughts. Not to mention he gave me a heart attack.

"Geez, Austin!" I yelled, clutching my heart. "Thanks for the heart attack." I said, breathing heavily.

"Sorry, but you were zoned out for five minutes." He gave me a look. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

Austin and I were alone in my tree house since we wanted to spend some time together. Everyone else is at the house just watching a movie but we wanted to be here. The tree house is like our practice room so it's really special to us.

"Anything important?" He asked. I shook my head no. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around me.

"What times our flight tomorrow?" I asked. Austin and Dez were able to get the same flight as me and Trish but Jason leaves right after the competition tonight.

"Eight in the morning so we have to leave the house at six." I groaned and he chuckled. "You don't want to leave, do you?"

"Yes and no. Yes because I miss my dad, but no because I'll miss Colorado and everyone here."

"I think they are a couple of people you won't miss when we go back to Miami." He said, basically mentioning Eric and Jamie. I nervously chuckled since he doesn't know Eric lives in Miami. But he's in jail so I have nothing to worry about, right?

"Should we head back to the house?" I asked. I lifted my head so I could look at him. He nodded.

We climbed down the tree house and kind of just stared at it for a minute. I know I would see it again next year, but I don't know if Austin would. I don't know if he would come with me for next year's competition.

We walked back to the house, hand in hand, in complete silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was a comfortable silence and it was really peaceful.

When we walked into the house, my jaw dropped and my eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Standing in the Lynches living room was none other than Jamie.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, venom in my voice. Sure I sounded harsh, but could you really blame me.

"Ally, I didn't come here to fight." She walked towards me so we were now face to face. "I came here because I have something to tell you." I nodded.

"Let's head down to the basement." I told her. She nodded and we made our way down to the basement. We took a seat on the couch and I waited for her to talk. But instead of talking, she just sat there. "Okay seriously, why are you here?"

"I know about what Eric did to you." She blurted out. "I know, because he tried doing the same thing to me."

"So you came here to tell me that he tried abusing you when he actually did abuse me?" She shook her head.

"I just wanted to warn you that he's out of jail." She said, quietly and slowly. That's when my body froze.

"H-how did he get out?"

"He was bailed out and they couldn't really keep him because they didn't have any hard evidence." I was speechless and I couldn't even move.

"Is he still competing with you guys?" She shook her head and relief washed over me.

"We actually kicked him off the team and I'm just sorry that we didn't do it sooner." She paused and took in a deep breath. "Ally, I'm so sorry for being such a bitch to you. I never wanted to, but Eric was basically forcing me to bully you."

"But what about when we were kids? I'm pretty sure Eric had nothing to do with you being a bitch to me then."

"I know, and I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't forgive me. I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry." I gave her a small smile in which she returned. "Well I uh, I-I better get going."

"A-alright, uh, thanks for telling me about Eric."

"No problem." She got off the couch and made her way towards the stairs. I was left alone in the basement, mentally screaming. Does the universe hate me or something?

"Fuck my life." I said to myself. I laid down on the couch so I was staring at the ceiling. Although I was angry and scared that Eric was out of jail, I wasn't going to cry over him. He doesn't control my life anymore so I won't show weakness when it comes to him.

I heard the basement door open and I knew it was Austin coming down to check on me. I didn't bother moving from the couch, but I did sit up so there was room for him.

"What did Jamie tell you?" He asked, taking a seat on the couch. I looked at him, a frown plastered on my face.

"Eric's out of jail." His eyes widened and I thought they were going to pop out of his head.

"B-but…w-what…how?" He stuttered.

"He was bailed out." I stated flatly. "Now I really want to stay in Colorado."

"Why would you want to stay in Colorado now that Eric's out of jail?" He asked, confusion evident in his voice. I guess I should tell him the truth.

"Eric doesn't live here. He lives in Miami." I swear, Austin's eyes widened even more. "But he lives on the other side of Miami." I assured him.

"That's why I've never seen him before." He realized. I nodded. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Shocked and angry, but fine. I'm not going to let Eric ruin my life."

"Good." He placed a soft kiss on my forehead. "I'm proud of you." I smiled.

"Let's head upstairs. " I stood up. "I need to get ready."

When we walked out of the basement, all eyes were on us. I quickly told everyone what Jamie told me and they were shocked. I mean who wouldn't be? But I also told them not to worry about Eric because we have a competition to win. Thankfully they understood and let the subject go.

We all went upstairs so we could get ready for the competition so it was me, Rydel, and Trish in Rydel's room. Obviously Trish isn't competing, but she does need to dress up warm.

I was looking around for my goggles but I couldn't find them anywhere. I was completely dressed, I just didn't have my goggles. "Delly, do you know where I put my goggles?"

"Uh, I think they're in the guestroom. Dez used them for something." She answered. What could he have possibly used them for? I thanked her and walked out of Rydel's room. I knocked on their door and waited for answer.

Austin opened and smiled once he saw me. "Hey Als, what's up?"

"Rydel said Dez had my goggles and I need them."

"Yeah he has them, come in." I walked in and sat down on the bed waiting to receive my goggles. Austin walked into the closet and came out seconds later, holding my goggles.

"Do I want to know why Dez used them?" I questioned, grabbing my goggles.

"Probably not." I shuddered at the thought of Dez doing something weird to my goggles.

"Where is he anyway?"

"In the closet getting ready." I opened my mouth to say something but he stopped me. "Don't ask." I laughed and nodded. I thanked him with a quick kiss before walking out of his room and going back to Rydel's.

"Are you guys ready?" I asked, taking a seat on Rydel's computer chair. Trish slipped on her gloves and Rydel slipped on her boots.

"Now we are." Rydel said.

We hurried out of the room and ran downstairs. Our snowboards were in the trunks of the cars so all we had to do was wait for everybody before we could leave.

I can't wait to get on the half-pipe and just get the competition started. Snowboarding is like a getaway from all my problems, and Eric is definitely a problem. Why did Jamie have to tell me about his jail release right before the competition? After the competition would've been better. I wish I never met Eric.

"Let's go!" Riker shouted, entering the living room with everyone else trailing behind him. I chuckled at his excitement because I was just as excited. We walked out of the house and piled up into separate cars.

Mark and Stormie were already at Storm Valley because they wanted to get good seats. Well, there's no seats because everyone stands, but I think you get my point. As for my Uncle Danny and Cousin Jake, I have no clue when they're coming. They could be there already and I wouldn't know.

The thing I love about the Blizzard competition is that it's at night. There's so many colorful lights and at the end of the competition, there are fireworks. Did I ever mention that I love fireworks? I could watch them all night.

When we got to Storm Valley, the guys and I had to get ready at the half-pipe so as soon as we got out of the car, we had to say goodbye.

"Good luck!" Austin, Trish, and Dez exclaimed, pulling us in for a group hug. I couldn't help but laugh when they did that. I seriously love my friends. When we ended the group hug, Austin nodded his head towards the side, and I knew what he meant.

"I need a hug just from you before you go." He said, with a small chuckle. I playfully rolled my eyes before wrapping my arms around his torso. His went around me waist and we just stayed in that position for a couple of minutes. His head was nuzzled into my neck and my head rested on his chest. I took off my helmet so this hug would be better.

"Good luck out there." He murmured, kissing my neck softly.

"Thanks." I lifted my head and pecked his lips. "I'll see you once the competition is over." He nodded and kissed my forehead.

I walked back over to the rest of my team while Austin, Trish, and Dez went to look for a good spot to watch the competition. We made our way to the top of the half-pipe where there was an area for all the teams that were competing. There's just one thing I have to say.

Let's do this!

No One's POV

"Hello everyone and welcome to The Blizzard Competition!" The announcer, well announced. He was a young man who looked to be in his mid-twenties.

The crowd cheered and all the teams waved at their audience. Ally was able to find Austin and she smiled widely. He noticed her smiling and sent her a wink.

"Let's get this competition started!" He shouted, letting the crowd cheer once more. "Competing first is Team Storm!"

Team Storm obviously represents Storm Valley, since everyone on that team is related to the owner of Storm Valley. They're not very well liked because they think that they can control everyone just because they're related to the owner.

After each teammate on a team competes, the judges will give a total score instead of individual scores.

As the last snowboarder on Storm Valley drops in, Ally can't help but get nervous seeing as her team is next. She watches the girl from Storm Valley do a crippler but then gasps when she wipes out. _That'll affect the score_, Ally thought.

"Alright, we have the total score for Storm Valley!" The announcer declared. One of the judges handed him an envelope and he quickly opened it. "And Storm Valley's score is a," He paused for dramatic effect. "Seventy-eight!" The scoring is out of one hundred so everyone knows that a seventy-eight isn't the best score.

Team Royals were preparing to compete since they were up, and the first one to drop in would be Ally. She strapped her snowboard to her feet and started preparing herself.

"Up first from Team Royals is Ally Dawson!" The announcer announced. At the mention of her name, Austin started cheering and chanting her name.

Ally dropped in and the first trick she did was a crippler. The crowd cheered, making her smile as she executed her next trick, which was a McTwist. She loved the energy the crowd was giving her and it only made her want to do better.

She finished her run, waved to the crowd, and ran back to her teammates. They all congratulated her on a job well down and she couldn't help but smile. She felt great and she had so much energy coursing through her veins.

The rest of Team Royals did their run and they all did amazing. They all huddled close together and waited patiently for the judges to give their scores. They believed they did great and they hoped the judges thought so as well.

"We have the total score for Team Royals!" The announcer opened the envelope and took a dramatic pause, something everyone hates. "Congratulations on your ninety-five!" He shouted. Team Royals started jumping for joy before getting into a group hug. They're ecstatic that they got such a high score.

"GO TEAM ROYALS!" Austin, Trish, and Dez shouted.

Ally was so happy that she couldn't even think straight. She zoned out when it was time for Team Cloud to do their run but she didn't care. Of course she doesn't know if they even won yet, but she doesn't care.

Ally stopped zoning out when the announcer announced that he had the score for Team Cloud.

"Team Cloud gets a," He slowly opens the envelope and all Ally wanted to do was slap him so he could open it faster. "Ninety- three!" He exclaimed.

There were a couple of other teams that were competing, but Ally didn't even know them because they were new to The Blizzard Competition. But she was happy when they didn't get good enough scores because that meant her and her team won.

"Congratulations Team Royals on your victory!" The crowd erupted into cheers and the fireworks went off. Ally looked towards her with the biggest smile on her face.

"WE WON!" They all shouted. They got into another group hug and started jumping up and down.

They ran as fast as they could to their friends and family, their smiles never leaving their faces. As soon as they reached everyone, they were engulfed in hugs.

"We're so proud of you guys!" Stormie exclaimed, hugging her kids, including Ally since she considered her another daughter.

"You guys were awesome!" Trish told them. Ally hugged her best friend along with Dez. She then threw herself into Austin's arms and he immediately wrapped his arms around her waist. It was a bit hard since she was wearing snowboarding gear, but he didn't care.

Ally POV

"You were amazing, Als." Austin whispered in my ear. I smiled widely and pecked his cheek. I'm so happy it's not even funny. I unwrapped myself from Austin but he placed his hands on my hips.

"You think anyone from school watched the competition?" I asked. He smirked. Uh oh.

"Oh, I definitely know they did." He said, grinning.

"What did you do?"

"I might've tweeted that you and my cousins were competing in The Blizzard Competition." He explained sheepishly. I smiled and swatted his arm playfully. "Was that okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I mean I know people were going to find out anyway."

"Well when I tweeted about the competition, there were a bunch of replies saying that there was no way you would be competing," I frowned, but he continued. "But I think those people regret saying that now."

"Yeah, school should be really interesting."

"It'll be fine." He leaned down and kissed me passionately. I smiled against his lips and he did the same.

"Love you, Austin." I said as I pulled away.

"Love you too, Als." He kissed me once again.

**Don't worry, it's not over yet. The Eric drama has not ended. Just wait until they get back to Miami. Reviews would be appreciated. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

Ally POV

"Do you have to go back to Miami?" Rydel asked, for the fourth time. I sighed and nodded.

We're going back to Miami today and she's not really happy about it. It's currently five-thirty in the morning and we had a half an hour before we had to head to the airport. We just wanted to make sure we had everything packed before leaving.

Everyone in the house was awake since they wanted to say goodbye to us, but Mark and Stormie are dropping us off at the airport. I had to say goodbye to Jason last night and let's just I cried. A lot. I barely see him and when I do, it's not for very long so I hate saying goodbye to him all the time.

"Rydel, you and the guys should visit Miami some time." Trish told her. I nodded in agreement.

"That would be awesome! I know the guys want to check out the girls in Miami." She said, rolling her eyes. I laughed, knowing that the guys would drool over the girls back in Miami. Even though a few of the one's I know are skanks.

After checking my suitcase and making sure I had everything, I zipped it up and placed it on the ground. I covered my mouth as I started to yawn, but who could blame be? It's early in the morning.

"I'm gonna miss you guys so much!" Rydel cried, pulling me and Trish into a bone crushing hug. I always get emotional when I say goodbye to the Lynches so I'm not surprised when I started crying. We stayed in our position for a few minutes until Rydel pulled away.

"I want you text me all the time, got it?" I told Rydel. She chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, we want to know how everything goes between you and Jake." Trish added. Rydel blushed. She's so in love with my cousin.

"Will do, guys. Besides, who else can I talk to about Jake? My brothers? No thank you."

"Hey!" I heard. We all looked at each other before glancing at the door. I opened the door revealing Riker and Rocky.

"Really guys?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. "Eavesdropping?" They smiled nervously and backed away. I swear they're children, not teenagers.

"Your brothers need to grow up." Trish said. Rydel and I nodded in agreement. It's like Trish was reading my mind.

"It's weird that they only eavesdrop when you guys are here." Rydel commented. I rolled my eyes. Boys are so weird.

I grabbed my phone out of my back pocket and glanced at the time. It was time to go. "We got to go, Rydel." I told her quietly. She nodded sadly and gave us a weak smile.

Trish and I grabbed our suitcases and trudged downstairs. Austin and Dez were already in the living room with their suitcases right next to them.

"Looks like this is it." I said sadly. Everyone nodded. We hugged each other individually before getting into one last group hug.

"Seriously guys, visit Miami this summer." Trish said.

"That's a great idea Trish." Stormie said, smiling.

"I thought so." She said, grinning. Well she sounded a bit cocky. But that's Trish for you.

"Alright guys, we have to leave." Mark said. He grabbed a couple of our suitcases before walking outside. Stormie grabbed the rest and followed her husband.

We walked towards the front door, turned our bodies and waved goodbye before walking out of the house. Since there weren't enough seats in the car for all of us, I had to sit on Austin's lap. I'm not complaining. He wrapped his arms around my waist and intertwined our fingers together, laying them on my lap. I leaned against his chest and he nuzzled his head in the crook of my neck. That's how we stayed for the entire car ride.

When we got to the airport, I climbed off Austin's lap and got out of the car. Mark and Stormie opened the trunk and grabbed our luggage, setting it on the ground.

"Call us when you land, alright?" Stormie asked, hugging me. I nodded and pulled away, smiling.

After our teary goodbye's, we grabbed our suitcases and entered the airport. After checking in our luggage, we went through security, and found our gate.

"Dez and I are going to get a quick snack, you guys want anything?" Trish asked, holding hands with Dez. I have to get use to them dating. Austin looked at me and I shook my head no.

"No, we're good, thanks." Austin responded. They walked away and entered the small store they have by our gate. "Do you find it weird that Trish and Dez are dating?" He asked, grabbing my left hand. He started playing with my promise ring and I smiled.

"I'm definitely going to have to get used to it, but as long as they're happy then I'm happy."

Trish and Dez came back a few minutes later and just in time for that matter.

"Flight 237 to Miami, Florida is now boarding."

Once we got on the plane, we started looking for our seats. When we found them, we literally collapsed because we were so tired. We had the aisle seats so it was me and Austin in one row and Trish and Dez in the row behind us. I got the window seat while Austin sat in the middle. Who knows who would be seating next to Austin since that seat was empty?

I leaned my head on Austin's chest and he wrapped his arm around me. He started rubbing my side and I couldn't stifle the yawn that escaped my mouth. He chuckled.

"Go to sleep." He said quietly. I nodded against his chest. I closed my eyes and let sleep takeover.

* * *

"Babe," Austin whispered. I groaned and opened my eyes. My head was still on his chest so I lifted it to look at him. "Sorry, but we landed and I didn't think letting you stay on the plane would be a good idea." He said, chuckling.

"I really slept through the whole flight?" I asked, rubbing my eyes trying to get rid of the blurriness.

"Yeah, you were really tired. I couldn't even fall asleep because these seats are so uncomfortable."

"Tell me about it. My butt is sore."

He chuckled and shook his head. "You still slept so hush."

Once we got off the plane, we made our way towards baggage claim. It took us about ten minutes to get our luggage before we were able to leave the airport. It felt really good to be back in Miami, but I missed Colorado.

Since my dad couldn't pick us up, we called for a taxi to take us to Sonic Boom. It was easier than telling the cab driver to take us to our individual houses. Besides, the mall is walking distance from all our houses.

When we got to the Miami Mall, we paid the cab driver and made our way towards Sonic Boom. I was able to see my father through the glass doors. He was behind the counter and it looked like he was actually working. If you've ever met my father, then you would know that he never actually works.

"Ally!" Dad exclaimed, running around the counter and wrapping me in a hug as soon as me and the rest of the guys entered the store.

"Hey dad." I smiled and pulled away.

"Hey guys." My dad greeted Austin, Dez, and Trish. They waved a hello back. "I saw the competition on TV, honey. You were great, as usual. Congrats on the win."

"Thanks, dad. I just wish you could've been there." I stated sadly.

"Me too, Als. But I had to watch the store."

I sighed. "I know." He gave me a sad smile and kissed the top of my head.

"Well I was just about to go home so how about I take you suitcase back with me?"

"What about the store?" I question, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll just close up for the day. No big deal." My jaw dropped slightly but I nodded. He grabbed my suitcase and walked out of the store.

"Well Dez and I are gonna head over to my house, but we'll see you guys later." Trish said, dragging Dez away. They're probably gonna go make out.

"Do you want to head to your house so you can drop off your stuff?" I asked my boyfriend. He nodded and grabbed my hand.

It took us about ten minutes to get to his house, but when we finally got there, Austin cheered.

"Someone's happy to be home." I commented. I smiled, nodding his head so I took that as a yes. Before we walked inside, I noticed that there were two cars in the driveway which meant that both his parents were home. I wonder if they know we're together.

"Mom! Dad!" Austin shouted, closing the front door once we were inside. Seconds later, Mike and Mimi appeared and engulfed Austin in a hug. I was just standing there since I didn't want to interrupt their reunion. Could I even call it a reunion? I mean we were only gone for three weeks.

"We missed you so much, honey." Mimi gushed, releasing Austin from the hug. She noticed me and hugged me as well. "How are you, Ally?"

"I'm good, how are you?"

"I'm great!"

"So how was Colorado?" Mike asked.

"It was good. You know I love going to Colorado."

"That's why we wanted you to go for Winter Break." Mimi told her son. "So how was your Winter Break, Ally?"

"It was great." Mike and Mimi both glanced at my cast and immediately asked what happened. I really didn't want to mention Eric so I just lied. "I fell on my wrist and it just snapped." My lying wasn't the best, but they bought it.

We moved into the living room since Mike and Mimi wanted to hear more about Austin's trip in Colorado.

"How's Riker, Rocky, Rydel, Ross, and Ryland?" Mike asked.

"They're good. Loud but good." Austin responded it.

"So I heard they won The Blizzard Competition. We didn't get a chance to watch it though." Mimi said.

"But we did record it." Mike said. "Would you guys like to watch?"

Austin looked at me for an answer. I nodded. Since I did zone out for a while, I wouldn't mind watching it. I can't wait to see their reactions when they announce my name.

When the last person from Team Storm did their run, they received there score and I couldn't help but silently giggle. When the announcer, who's name I found out was Adam, appeared on the screen, Austin squeezed my shoulder. It's weird that I've never actually seen myself snowboard.

_"Up first for Team Royals is Ally Dawson!"_ Adam announced. I glanced at Mike and Mimi whose jaws were dropped. Their eyes were fixated on the screen so they didn't even look at me yet. I turned my attention back to the TV and watched myself snowboard. I don't want to brag or anything, but damn! I'm good and I owe it all to my mom.

Once the competition was over, I slowly turned my attention to Mike and Mimi.

"So what did you think?" Austin asked, grinning like an idiot.

"Was that really you, Ally?" Mimi asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, I've been competing for years."

"But how do you know Austin's cousins?" Mike asked.

"I used to live in Colorado and I was their neighbor. They're like a second family to me."

They smiled. "You're an incredible snowboarder, Ally." Mimi complimented.

"Thanks."

Mimi's eyes wondered down to my left hand and she gasped. Oh crap!

"Mom, it's not what it looks like." Austin said right away. "It's a promise ring that I gave to Ally."

"Y-you two are together?" Mike asked.

I nodded and Austin took that opportunity to grab my hand. "We got together a couple of weeks ago." He said.

"Well I'm happy for you two." Mimi smiled. "But isn't two weeks a bit soon for you to be giving a promise ring?"

"Not for us." Austin said without having to think. "We love each other and we know we're going to be together."

Both his parents just smiled at us and Mimi even mumbled something, but she probably thought I couldn't hear, but I did. She said, "Young love is amazing."

You bet your ass it is.


	17. Chapter 17

Ally POV

BEEP BEEP BEEP BE-

I slammed down on my alarm clock to get it to shut up. I was about to close my eyes and get more sleep, but then I remembered that it was Monday. Monday, the first day of school after Winter Break. Now normally I would love to go to school, but today I'm just not feeling it.

I dragged myself out of bed and walked into the bathroom. I stripped off my clothes and got in the shower. The only thing that sucks while showering, is that I have to wear a plastic bag over my cast so it doesn't get wet. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and finished my shower before hopping out.

I wrapped a towel around my body before stepping out of the bathroom. I open my closet door and start searching through my clothes. I decided on a pair of blue skinny jeans, my red Studded Shark Bite Tank Top, and my black converses. I quickly put the clothes that I picked out on, and ran back to the bathroom. I quickly blow dried my hair and curled it. And lastly, I put on a little bit of makeup.

I grabbed my phone, glanced at the time, and shoved it in my pocket. It's 7:13 AM and Austin is picking me up and 7:30 AM. I grabbed my bad and hurried downstairs. I called for my dad but he didn't answer. I guess he was at Sonic Boom.

Speaking of my dad, he found out about me and Austin the day we got back from Colorado. Apparently he never read the article that was published about us so I was kind of relieved. But when he found out, he had a talk with Austin. He made Austin swear to never hurt me and Austin told him he would never dream of it.

As I grabbed a granola bar, I heard a car horn which meant Austin was here. I ran out of the house and met up with Austin who was leaning on the passenger side door.

"Hey, you ready?" He asked, giving me a quick kiss.

"Not really, but whatever." He chuckled and ran over to his side. As soon as we buckled ourselves in, he took off. I seriously hope today turns out well, but for some reason I have doubts. But I'm probably just nervous.

As soon as Austin parked the car and cut the engine, my heart started pounding. Why the hell am I nervous? It's not like I'm a new student! Gah!

"Als, I get that you're nervous, but you're kind of squeezing the life out of my hand." Austin said as we walked into school. I looked down at our intertwined hands and noticed that his hand was turning blue. Oops. I softened my grip on his hand and it turned back to its normal color.

"Sorry." I mumbled. We made our way towards our lockers, which just so happened to be next to each other. We're even in all the same classes.

"Where do you think Trish and Dez are?" I asked, opening my locker and grabbing my books.

He shrugged. "No clue, but they're probably making out." He slightly shuddered. "I'm still not use to them dating." He shut his locker and grabbed my hand.

"Don't worry, you will."

We walked to our first class, which was English. Our teacher, Mrs. Fields was one of the best teachers at Marino High. She was so funny and laid back. She's definitely one of my favorites. My other favorite teacher is Ms. Brooke. She's our Music teacher but she doesn't even act like a teacher. She's like one of us and we all love her.

Walking into English, I noticed that Trish and Dez were already in their seats. Yeah, we all have the same class so there's never a dull moment.

"Hey guys." I greeted as I sat down.

"Hey," Trish greeted back. "Did anyone talk to you about the whole snowboarding thing?"

I shook my head. "Nope, and I'm kind of relieved."

"I honestly don't get why you were so nervous." Austin said, playing with a strand of my hair. He was sitting right behind me so he had easy access. Okay, that sounded wrong, but you get my point.

I turned my body so I was looking at him. "I don't know why either, I guess I just don't want attention from everyone."

"Well you're gonna get it." Dez said. I glared at him.

"Thank you, Dez." I said through gritted teeth. He shrunk in his seat a little and I just laughed. Then a thought crossed my mind. "How am I supposed to write anything with my broken wrist?" I asked, holding up my casted wrist.

"Don't worry, Als. I'll write down any notes we have to take." Austin told me. I smiled.

"Thanks babe." I leaned forward and pecked his lips. I heard Trish groan but I just rolled my eyes.

Students started walking into the classroom and looked my way as they took their seat. I tensed up and I think Austin noticed because he squeezed my shoulder.

"Relax, Als." He whispered. I turned to him and quickly nodded.

"Good morning class!" Mrs. Fields greeted. She was really perky which didn't shock any of us. "How was everyone's Winter Break?" Her question started chatter around the room except I just stayed quiet.

"Mrs. Fields, can I show everyone a video?" One of the students asked. I recognized him as Michael.

"Is this video appropriate?" She asked.

"Yeah, don't worry." He ran up to the front and started typing away on her computer. Her computer connects to the projector so we can all see the video on the screen that comes down from the ceiling. Why do I have a feeling I know what the video is?

Once he clicked on the video, I wanted to run and hide. He was showing everyone The Blizzard Competition and he was fast forwarding straight to my team.

_"Up first for Team Royals is Ally Dawson!" _Adam announced. Immediately all eyes were on me. Even Mrs. Fields. Is it really shocking that I snowboard? I get that I don't look athletic, but c'mon people!

Once the video was over, everyone in the classroom started clapping. "Ally, you're amazing!" Mrs. Fields complimented.

"Uh, thanks." I said shyly.

"How long have you been snowboarding?" She asked.

"Almost my entire life." I answered. "I used to live in Colorado where The Blizzard Competition is held so I've been competing for as long as I can remember. My teammates were my neighbors when I lived there but now they're like my second family."

"But they're literally my family." Austin added. I turned around and playfully glared at him. "What? You know I had to say it." I laughed and shook my head.

"Did you break your wrist from snowboarding?" Mrs. Fields asked. Is this question Ally day? But I really didn't want to answer that.

"She fell on her wrist and broke it." Austin told her. Gotta love that boy.

"Well I hope it feels better." She said sympathetically. I thanked her. I turned around to look at Austin.

"Thanks for coming up with the lie about my wrist." I whispered so no one could hear us.

"It wasn't technically a lie. I just didn't mention Eric. But you're welcome." I smiled and turned back around.

For the rest of the period, we just stayed in our seats and talked. Some students asked about snowboarding, but the majority of the class was doing their own thing.

"I better not have to watch The Blizzard Competition during every class." I said, walking to my next class with Austin.

"Everyone's just excited about it, I guess. No one in this school actually snowboards so they think it's cool." He replied, throwing his arm over my shoulder as mine went around his waist.

Our second class of the day was Math, and let's just say that's my least favorite class. Our teacher, Mr. Potter, is one of those boring teachers whose monotone. He has absolutely no emotion when he talks and he always puts us to sleep.

"Hello class," Mr. Potter greeted, no emotion in his voice. It's gonna be a long class.

And I was right. Our one forty-five minute class, felt like a two hour class. He needs to be more like Mrs. Fields.

When lunch came around, I couldn't be happier. Since I missed breakfast, I was really hungry. After Austin and I got our lunch, we took a seat at our usual table with Trish and Dez.

"So every class I've been to so far, someone would have us watch The Blizzard Competition." Trish said, taking a sip of water. I groaned.

"Seriously, why do people care so much?" I questioned. "I hate being the center of attention."

"It'll blow over soon, Als." Austin said, wrapping an arm around my waist.

We sat in comfortable silence, just eating our lunch, but that comfortable silence disappeared when I heard the voice of someone I despised.

"Hey there, Ally-cat." I turned around to see Eric standing there with a smirk on his face.

"W-what are you doing here?" I asked, shaking from fear.

"I go here now." As soon as those words left his mouth, I bolted out of the lunch room.

Austin POV

Eric took a seat at our table and if he didn't move, let's just say something bad would happen.

"Trish, go check on Ally." I told her. She nodded and walked out of the cafeteria. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?" I asked, venom dripping from my voice.

"I'm just here to get a good education." He said innocently. I rolled my eyes and tried calming myself down.

"I know that's a loud of bullshit!" I yelled, gaining the attention from everyone in the lunchroom. "Don't even think about laying a finger on Ally because if you do, I'll make you regret it."

"Look at little Austin Moon, trying to protect his bitch of a girlfriend."

"Shut the fuck up!" I yelled through gritted teeth. I was not about to beat the crap out of him, even though I wanted to. But if I did, I would either get detention or suspension and I didn't need that.

"Austin, let's get out of here." Dez said, obviously trying to prevent me from doing something I'll regret. I nodded and walked out of the lunchroom, Dez right behind me.

"Where do you think the girls are?" Dez asked.

"The bathroom." I answered immediately.

I can't believe this is happening. Ally's ex-boyfriend and abuser just has to transfer to Marino High. She doesn't deserve any of this and Eric deserves to be in jail. I will make that happen one way or another.

I bolted into the girl's bathroom and saw Ally on the floor, hugging her knees. Trish was next to her but I motioned for her to leave. She nodded and left. I placed my back against the wall of the bathroom and slid down. I wrapped my arms around Ally and brought her closer to me.

"Why is this happening to me?" She cried. I started rubbing her back in hopes to calm her down. "I wanted to get away from him and now that's never going to happen." Her voice started to crack and I had a feeling she was going to cry.

"Als, I promise you that he won't lay a finger on you." She lifted her head off my chest and looked at me. A few tears slid down her cheek but I wiped them away with my thumb. "Are you going to be okay?" She slowly nodded. I got off the floor and helped her up. She took that opportunity to wrap her arms around my torso as mine went around her shoulders.

"Could we go straight to Music class?" She asked, releasing herself from the hug. I nodded. Thank god this would be our last class of the day. I mean after Music we have a free period, but we usually just walk around the school.

I grabbed her hand and intertwined our fingers together before walking out of the bathroom. I don't even care that I was in the girl's bathroom. I noticed that Trish and Dez weren't around so they probably left so they could give me and Ally some alone time. I was actually really grateful for that.

"Hi Austin and Ally." Ms. Brooke greeted when we walked into the classroom. We greeted her back and took our seats which were right next to each other. We technically shared a desk since they were practically tables. We were the only ones in the classroom since lunch wasn't over yet. We had another five minutes before students would start piling into the classroom.

"What happened after I left the lunchroom?" She asked, turning to me.

"I pretty much threatened him. He's lucky that's all I did." I said the last part chuckling a bit. She cracked a smile and I mentally fist pumped. I hated seeing her sad so I'll do anything to cheer her up.

"You don't think the whole school will find out what he did to me, right?" She asked quietly so Ms. Brooke would hear.

"Unless he decides to brag to the whole school about, I doubt that." I wrapped my arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "But no more talking about that bastard, alright?"

"Yeah, you're right. I have something else in mind that we could do." She grabbed her phone and brought up a video. It was the video of Rocky asking out Alex.

As we watched it, we couldn't help but bust out laughing. That earned us some stares from the students that were walking in, but we didn't care.

"I thought Ross got that on his phone, how did you get it?" I asked, wiping away the tears that were caused by my laughter.

"I made him send it to me. It could be good blackmail and it's really funny." She shrugged.

"You know you might be hanging out with Trish a little too much if you're talking about blackmail."

"Maybe, but who cares. Besides, I have blackmail on you too." She smirked. I gave her a questioning look before remembering the picture she took of me and Dez.

"Please never show that to anyone." I begged. And if you knew me, you would know that I never beg.

"Don't give me a reason to blackmail you and I won't."

I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted. "You're mean."

"You still love me."

I cracked a smile and uncrossed my arms. "Yeah, I can't argue with that." I kissed her cheek and she blushed.

How did I get so lucky?

**BAM! Chapter 17 done! Can I just say that I love writing this story! Thanks for reading! :)**


	18. Chapter 18

Ally POV

So the first week of school ended and I couldn't be happier. Eric has no classes with me, but he does have a few of them with Trish. I'm surprised she hasn't beaten him up. I would love to see Trish beat the crap out of him. And if you knew me, you would know that I'm not a violent person, but Eric deserves it.

I was at Sonic Boom working my shift since it was Saturday. Not to mention that I'm alone since my dad's on break and none of my friends are here yet. Knowing them, they're probably still sleeping since it's only ten in the morning.

"Hey Als," Austin greeted walking into the store. I ran around the counter and hugged him, practically tackling him to the ground. "Someone missed me." He chuckled.

"No, I was just really bored." I reclaimed my spot behind the counter. He rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Well it's good to know that I'm only here to entertain you." He said jokingly. He leaned over the counter and gave me a quick kiss. "So did you hear about the school trip for all the juniors?" I nodded.

Every year the juniors go to California for a week and at the end of the trip, they have to write a paper about their experience.

"Aren't we going to California?" I questioned. The look on his face told me that I was wrong.

"Nope, we're going to Colorado!" My jaw dropped and my eyes widened.

"Are you serious!?"

"Yeah, we're gonna be there for a week and guess who are the chaperones."

"Who?"

"Mrs. Fields and Ms. Brooke! The best teachers at Marino High!" I smiled widely and he mimicked me. But then a thought struck me.

"But the juniors usually go to California for their class trip." I said, confusion written all over my face.

"Yeah, but since everyone was so infatuated with snowboarding, they decided to change it up."

"This is awesome! We have to tell your cousins!"

"Or we could make it a surprise." I thought about it for a second and nodded in agreement. "They're gonna be in shock when we show up."

"I know, it's gonna be great! Oh my god I'm so excited!"

"Me too, and everyone's gonna love watching you snowboard."

"That's the only thing I'm not looking forward to. I mean why do people care that I snowboard?"

"Don't know, but don't let them bug you."

"I guess you're right." I sighed. "And maybe I could actually teach you how to snowboard."

"I'm always right, and maybe you will teach me how to snowboard." He smirked.

"You have one of the biggest ego's I've ever seen. But without it you wouldn't be you."

"Is that a compliment?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. I smiled and shrugged.

"For you it is." He laughed. "Do you know where we're staying in Colorado?"

"Um, I think the Holiday Inn." I smiled widely and I think I freaked Austin out. "Wanna tell me why you're smiling like that? It's kind of creeping me out."

I rolled my eyes. "The Holiday Inn is close to Storm Valley!"

"Ah, that explains it." He hopped over the counter and grabbed my waist, pulling me closer to him. "Our teachers are going to be handing out permission slips for the trip on Monday so all we have to do is get them signed and we're all set."

I grinned. "I can't wait. I know we just got back, but Colorado's my second home."

"Technically it's your first home since you were born there." He corrected. I laughed and nodded.

"That may be true, but I haven't lived there in years so I consider Miami my home." I wrapped my arms around his neck and placed my lips onto his.

"Gross! Could you two stop sucking face?" We pulled away and glared at the person who walked in. And that ladies and gentlemen, would be my best friend Trish.

I unwrapped myself from Austin and placed my hands on my hips. "You and Dez kiss all the time, and I think you actually kiss more than us."

She turned red and stayed silent. "So anyway, did you guys hear about the trip?" She asked, changing the subject. Nice job Trish.

"Yeah, it's gonna be awesome! I can't wait!" I exclaimed. She giggled and that's when I noticed that someone was missing. "Where's Dez?"

"Oh, he's looking for his kangaroo." Trish answered. I opened my mouth to say something but she silenced me. "It's Dez, don't ask." I laughed and nodded. "So are you gonna call the guys and let them know we're going to Colorado next month?"

"Nope, we're gonna make it a surprise." Austin replied. She grinned.

"So when are we going exactly?" I asked.

"February 16th." Trish answered. I nodded and slightly frowned. "What's wrong?" She asked, noticing my mood change.

"My mom's birthday's February 18th."

"Are you gonna visit her?"

"Yeah, I think so. Every time I go to Colorado, I never visit her. When I went on Christmas, that was the first time in years that I actually went to see her."

"Why did you go on Christmas?" Austin asked, softly.

"T-that was the day she died." I could feel the tears in my eyes form but I wouldn't let them fall. He must've noticed because he wrapped me in a hug. I nuzzled my face in the crook of his neck while he rubbed my back. I heard footsteps and the door opening which meant Trish left.

"You okay?" He whispered in my ear. I pulled away to look at him.

I nodded. "Sorry." I apologized.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He cupped my face and placed a soft kiss on my lips and forehead.

"How did I get so lucky?"

"I think it's the other way around, babe." I smiled and crashed my lips onto his.

I love this boy!

* * *

"Ally, wake up!" My dad yelled. I groaned and opened my eyes. "It's five in the morning and you have to be at the school by six so hurry up!"

"Alright, alright, I'm up!" I yelled back.

Today was the day all of the juniors were leaving for Colorado. I'm so excited to see Riker, Rydel, Rocky, Ross, and Ryland. And Mark and Stormie of course. There's only one flaw to this trip. Eric is coming.

Since I wasn't planning on getting all dressed up for the airport, I decided to wear sweatpants and a sweatshirt, plus my converses. I threw my hair up into a high ponytail and added a little bit of makeup before heading downstairs. My suitcase was already in my dad's car so I didn't have to worry about that. Oh, did I forget to mention that I got my cast taken off? I didn't? Well now you know and I couldn't be happier.

Since there's like, a hundred juniors, we have to take five buses to the airport. I'm praying that Eric won't be on my bus. I'm really hoping to avoid him during this whole trip.

"You'll call me when you land, right?" Dad asked. I walked into the kitchen where he was sitting at the table and kissed his cheek.

"Of course, dad." I grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and chugged half of it. "My snowboards in the car, right?" I asked since it can't fit in my suitcase.

"Yeah, don't worry." He glanced at his watch and stood up. "Time to go, Als." I nodded and got out my phone. I sent a quick text to Austin saying that we were leaving the house and he replied saying the same thing.

When we got to the school, all the students were waiting in front of the school. I got out of the car and grabbed my suitcase and snowboard.

"Have fun, Als." Dad said, giving me a hug.

"Thanks, dad." He kissed the top of my head before getting back in the car and speeding off. I found Austin, Trish, and Dez and made my way towards them.

"Hey guys." I greeted.

"Hey." They greeted back. Austin leaned down and pecked my lips.

"So what are you gonna do when we get to Colorado?" Trish asked. "I mean how are you gonna surprise the guys?"

"I think I'll just call them and tell them to meet us at Storm Valley." I explained.

"Or we could go to their house." Austin suggested. I thought about it for a minute then nodded.

"Good idea. I can't wait to see their reactions."

"Alright everyone, onto the buses!" Mrs. Fields yelled over the chatter.

The four of us went on one of the buses and made our way towards the back. The airport was about an hour away from the school so this should be a fun ride. When the bus was filled, I looked around to see if Eric was on the bus. He wasn't.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" Mrs. Fields asked. The bus went silent. "When we get to the hotel in Colorado, I want everyone to choose a group of four and that's who you'll be staying with for the week. There are two beds in each room so you'll have to share with one other person."

I looked over at Austin and he was grinning like an idiot. "If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, then you're messed up." I whispered to him. He laughed and pecked my cheek.

The bus started moving and I couldn't hold my excitement.

"Hey Ally?" Jenna, a girl in the seat in front of me asked, getting my attention. She turned her body so she was looking at me.

"Yeah?"

"Is there anywhere in Colorado that you could get ski lessons?"

"Uh yeah. Storm Valley gives ski and snowboarding lessons. It's actually pretty close to our hotel."

"Thanks." She turned her body around so she was facing the front of the bus.

When we got to the airport, we checked in our luggage and made our way towards the gate. I was having such Déjà vu but I didn't care.

When it was finally time to board the plane, my excitement was getting way out of control. The seating arrangements were pretty much the same as before, except Jenna was sitting next to Austin who was in the middle seat while I had the window seat.

"When we go to your cousin's house, we have to ask about Rocky's date with Alex." I laughed.

"Did he actually go?" Austin asked, laughing along with me.

"Rydel said he did, but she didn't tell me how it went." I leaned my head against the headrest and turned a little so I was looking at Austin.

"So how's it going with Jake?" He asked, referring to Rydel's relationship.

"They're good. Maybe I'll get to see Jake and my Uncle as well." He nodded as I yawned. "Alright, I'm going to sleep." I leaned my head on his shoulder and he put his head on top of mine. I closed my eyes and let sleep take over.

I guess I fell asleep for the entire plane ride because the next thing I know, I'm being shaken awake by my boyfriend.

"Als, wake up." I rubbed my eyes softly and opened them. "How do you manage to stay asleep for the entire plane ride?"

"Don't know, but I'm glad I did."

When we exited the plane, we all went straight to luggage claim and got our suitcases. Exiting the airport, there were a two big coach buses waiting for us to take us to the hotel.

Once we were all settled on the bus, Mrs. Fields spoke up. "So what are you guys gonna do when we get to the hotel?"

Everyone pretty much said they were going to sleep and I just stayed silent. "What about you, Ally? I know you aren't going to sleep." She said. And here comes the attention.

"Well, Austin, Trish, Dez, and I are going to Austin's cousin's house to surprise them, and then we're going to Storm Valley."

"His cousins are your teammates, right?"

"Yeah." I smiled.

"Well the whole reason we're in Colorado is because everyone was interested in snowboarding, so maybe we'll all go." She said and everyone on the bus nodded in agreement.

"Looks like there's gonna be an audience when you snowboard." Austin whispered in my ear.

"I guess, but as long as they don't use the half-pipe, I'm good." I laughed.

An hour passed and during that time, we arrived at the hotel and checked in. Obviously it was me, Trish, Dez, and Austin in one room.

This trip was going to be awesome!


	19. Chapter 19

Ally POV

"Are you guys ready?" I asked, stepping out of the bathroom. They all nodded.

We're currently in our hotel room getting ready to leave for the Lynches. I can't wait to see them and I can't wait to see their faces when we show up at their house. And since we're going to Storm Valley after, Mrs. Fields decided that anyone who wanted to come with us would join us. Only about fifteen people wanted to come with us but we're still taking the bus that brought us to the hotel.

It's gonna be kind of funny when we're having a little reunion and the kids on the bus are just gonna watch us.

"We better head down to the lobby, I think everyone's waiting for us." Austin said. I grabbed my snowboard and followed them out the door. We made sure we had our key cards so we wouldn't be locked out.

"Alright, is everyone who wants to come with us here?" Mrs. Fields asked. We all nodded and made our way outside. When we got on the bus, Mrs. Fields stopped me. "Ally, you'll have to give directions to your friend's house."

"Okay." Once everyone was on the bus, the driver started driving. I told him where to go and we were at their house in ten minutes. "Let's go guys." I hollered at Austin, Trish, and Dez. "We'll be back in ten minutes." I told Mrs. Fields. She smiled and nodded.

We got off the bus and ran to their front door. I rang the doorbell and we impatiently waited for someone to answer.

"SURPRISE!" We yelled when Rydel opened the door.

"AHHH!" She yelled back and hugged us. "Guys, get down here!" She shouted.

"What's going on?" We heard Riker ask. He appeared in front of us and gaped. "What the hell are you guys doing here!?" He asked, excitedly.

"We're here on a school trip." I said. "Speaking of the trip, we're on our way to Storm Valley so go get ready." They both nodded and ran, leaving us alone outside.

"Well their reactions were funny." Austin laughed. "And you think that they would let us in." He joked.

"Who cares, but I can't wait to see Ross, Rocky, and Ryland." I said.

About ten minutes later, all the Lynch kids appeared in the doorway. We got into one big group hug before making our way towards the bus.

"Thanks for letting us pick them up, Mrs. Fields." I thanked our teacher as we took our seats.

"No problem, Ally." She started talking to one of the other kids so I turned my attention to my friends.

"I still can't believe you're here!" Rydel squealed, gaining the attention of everyone on the bus. I laughed and waved them off.

"How long are you guys here for?" Ross asked.

"A week." Austin answered. "But there's another person who came with us and let's just say you're not going to be happy."

"Who is it?" Riker asked slowly, getting the hint as to what Austin was saying.

"Eric." I growled.

"What!?" They all shouted. "I thought he lived on the other side of Miami?" Rocky asked.

"He did, but he moved so now he goes to our school." I answered. "You know what, let's not talk about him. I'm in a good mood and I'm not about to let him ruin that." I looked at Austin and then at Rocky. He started laughing and so did I.

"What's so funny?" Rocky asked.

"How was your date with Alex?" We asked at the same time. Everyone busted out laughing except for Rocky who just groaned.

When we arrived at Storm Valley, we rushed out of the bus. We hurried towards the half-pipe and when I glanced behind me, the other students plus Mrs. Fields were following us. Well we're gonna have an audience today.

"Ally, show them how it's done." Rydel said, grinning. I strapped on my snowboard and quickly glanced at my fellow classmates. They were just staring, waiting for me to do something.

I dropped in and accelerated so I had enough speed to do a trick. I did a crippler, followed by a McTwist, and ended my run with a backflip.

When I reached the top of the half-pipe, all the students were clapping as well as Mrs. Fields. "You're incredible, Ally." Mrs. Fields complimented. I grinned.

"Thanks." I breathed out. I took off my helmet and goggles and placed it on the ground next to my snowboard. I felt arms wrap around my waist and I was lifted off the ground. "Austin, put me down." I giggled.

"How'd you know it was me?" He asked, setting me down. I turned around so I was looking at him.

"You're the only one that does that to me." I smirked.

"Oh, right." He laughed.

"Oh My God!" I heard Rydel yell. I looked at her and noticed that she was on the phone. She started talking quieter so I couldn't hear what she was saying. After a couple of minutes, she hung up and walked over to me. I noticed that she had tears in her eyes.

"Delly, what's wrong?" I asked.

"That was Jake," She started. I don't like where this is going. "Y-your Uncle is in the hospital." As soon as those words left her mouth, I froze.

"W-what happened?" I choked out. I could feel the tears forming and I wasn't about to stop them from falling.

"He was in a car accident. Jake said he's in pretty bad shape." That's when I let the tears fall. Austin brought me closer to him so I was now sobbing in his chest.

Once I was able to calm myself down, I pulled away from Austin. "I need to get to the hospital, but I don't have a ride."

"I'll call my mom and she'll take you." Rydel said. I nodded as she walked away.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Austin asked softly. I nodded. "We should go tell Mrs. Fields that we won't be going back to the hotel with her." We walked over to her and interrupted the conversation she was having with a few of the students.

"Mrs. Fields," I croaked.

"Are you okay, Ally?" I couldn't seem to speak so I looked at Austin for help. He nodded and squeezed my hand.

"Ally's Uncle was in a car accident and he's in critical condition. My Aunt is coming to pick us up so we can go to the hospital." Austin explained. "We just wanted to let you know that we're not going back to the hotel with you."

She nodded and hugged me. "Let me know if you need anything." I smiled weakly and we walked back towards the group.

"She's on the way." Rydel said. I nodded.

"Trish, do you think you could take my stuff back to the hotel when you guys leave?" I asked my best friend.

"Of course, Als."

After a few minutes of waiting, Rydel got a text from Stormie saying that she was here. We said goodbye to our friends and hurried towards Stormie.

"Hi, Ally." She greeted softly as we entered her car. "Hi Austin."

"Hi, Stormie."

"Hi, Aunt Stormie."

The hospital was about ten minutes away from Storm Valley so we made it there in no time. We thanked Stormie for the ride and she drove away as we walked into the hospital.

I noticed Jake was in the waiting room when we walked in. His elbows were on his knees and he held his head in his hands.

"Jake," I said softly, taking a seat next to him. He looked up and gaped.

"Ally, what are you doing here?" He asked, shocked that I'm in Colorado.

"We're here for a school trip and I was with Rydel when you called her. How is he?"

"He's in pretty bad shape." He sighed. "They said it was a hit and run."

WHAT!? A hit and run!? Why would someone cause a car accident and not bother to stay and see if the other person needed any assistance.

"Are we allowed to see him?"

He shook his head. "They're doing X-rays and other scans to see how much damage was caused." I nodded and hugged him.

I felt so bad for Jake. If he ever lost his dad, then he would have no one. His mom's not in his life since she abandoned them when Jake was only five months old. Uncle Danny had to raise him all by himself, but I think he did a pretty good job. Of course I never met my Aunt because she left before I was even born.

"I'm gonna go outside and get some air." Jake said as he stood up. I nodded and watched him walk away. I took off my jacket and let it lay on my lap.

"How are you holding up?" Austin asked. I turned to him and shrugged.

"I've been better." I croaked. "If you want to go back to the hotel than you can."

He shook his head furiously. "I'm not leaving you, I'm staying." I gave a weak smile and nodded.

"Thanks." He kissed my forehead and kept his lips there for a few seconds before pulling away.

When Jake finally came back, there was a Doctor approaching us and I assumed it was my Uncle's Doctor. He was a middle aged man with brown hair and brown eyes. He had a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Are you all here for Daniel Dawson?" He asked. We all nodded.

"How is he?" Jake asked.

"Daniel, luckily had no internal damage. But he does have a broken leg, a broken arm, a couple of broken ribs, and a concussion." The Doctor explained. "We'd like to keep him here for a few days and when he's allowed to leave, we'll supply him with a wheelchair so it's easier for him to move around."

"So can we see him?" I asked, hopeful. He gave me a sympathetic look and shook his head no.

"I'm afraid not. He needs his rest at the moment, but you can come visit him tomorrow."

We thanked him for the information and he walked away. Jake decided to go home so we said our goodbyes, but I told him I would be back tomorrow. Austin called Rydel and asked her to pick us up from the hospital so she could bring us back to the hotel.

"Thanks for picking us up, Rydel." I thanked Delly as we got in her car.

"It's not a problem." She smiled and started driving. "So how's your Uncle?"

"He had a broken leg, arm, a couple of broken ribs, and a concussion." I explained. "The Doctor said that he'll be released in a few days."

"So what exactly happened? I mean I know he was in a car accident but…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Jake told me it was a hit and run."

"You're kidding!?" She exclaimed, shocked. "I can't believe someone would do that!" I nodded my head in agreement. Rydel dropped us off at the hotel, we thanked her for the ride, and she sped off.

"I'm about ready to collapse." I mumbled as we walked into our hotel room.

I decided to take a nice, long shower, and it felt so nice. I changed into baggy sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt. I threw my hair up into a messy bun before walking out of the bathroom.

"How was your shower?" Austin asked as I collapsed onto the bed next to him.

"It was relaxing." I yawned then paused. "Where's Trish and Dez?"

"I think they're in the dining room with some of the other students." I nodded. He threw his arm around my waist and brought me closer, nuzzling his head in my neck. "Are you hungry?" He mumbled into my neck.

I sighed. "Yeah, you?" He lifted his head and looked at me with an amused face. "Right, stupid question." I chuckled.

"Want to go down to the dining room and get something to eat? They have a buffet." I yawned and nodded.

"Sure, but I'm not changing." He shook his head and chuckled.

When we arrived at the dining room, we immediately spotted Trish and Dez and they were sitting at a table with students who I recognized as Alice, Jennifer, Mark, and John. Alice and Mark are a couple as well as Jennifer and John.

"Hey guys." Austin greeted as we took a seat at the table. I sat down next to Trish so she was on my left and Austin took a seat next to me.

"Hey, how's your Uncle?" Trish asked me.

"He has some broken bones and a concussion but he'll be released in a few days."

"At least there wasn't any severe damage." Dez said. We all stared at him with a look of disbelief.

"That was the smartest thing you've ever said." Austin pointed out. He shrugged. "Als, I'm gonna go get us some food." I nodded and he kissed the top of my head before getting up.

"You guys are so cute!" Alice gushed. I blushed and smiled.

"Hey there Ally-cat." That voice. The voice that belongs to the devil. I knew he was behind me but I didn't bother turning around.

"Eric, leave me the hell alone or I swear I'll have Mary arrest you again." I threatened. Since I wasn't looking at Eric, I was forced to look at Alice, Jennifer, Mark, and John. I heard footsteps retreating but I didn't want to look.

"He's gone." Trish said and I thanked her.

Austin came back shortly with a plate of food and because he's such a great boyfriend, he brought me extra pickles. I immediately started digging in.

"Do you want me to go with you to the hospital tomorrow?" Austin asked, taking a bite out of a mozzarella stick. I shook my head and swallowed the piece of food I had in my mouth.

"No, it's fine. Jake will be there so I'm good."

"How are you getting there?"

"I'll ask Rydel for a ride."

When we finished eating, we all decided to head to our hotel rooms. I immediately crawled into bed and got under the covers. Trish and Dez fell asleep almost immediately while I stayed up and waited for Austin to finish his shower.

"I'm so tired." Austin mumbled as he climbed into bed. He got under the covers and brought me closer to him. His arm was wrapped around my waist while my head leaned on his chest.

"Night, Als." He yawned.

"Night, Austin." I mimicked.


	20. Chapter 20

Ally POV

"I'm so glad that you're alright." I told my Uncle.

"I'm a tough one, Ally-gator."

I woke up early this morning so I could visit my Uncle in the hospital. Rydel was nice enough to take me so that's where I've been the past couple of hours. Jake came by before but had to leave shortly after so he could watch the store.

"So how's the school trip so far?" He asked.

"It's good so far. Did I mention that Eric goes to my school now so he's here too?" He shook his head no. "Well he is, but I'm not gonna let him ruin this trip for me."

"Good for you, Ally-gator." I smiled when he used that nickname. He used to call me that all the time when I was little. "So it's your mother's birthday tomorrow," He reminded me. I nodded. "Are you going to visit her?"

"Yeah, I am." I brought my water bottle up to my lips and took a sip. My phone vibrated and I noticed I got a text from Rydel.

_I'm outside, Als :) ~Delly _

"Uncle Danny, I gotta go."

"Alright, but I'll see you later." I stood up and kissed his cheek before stepping out of his room.

"Am I taking you back to the hotel?" Rydel asked, pulling out of the parking lot.

"Uh, yeah. Our teachers want everyone back at the hotel so we can all go to Storm Valley together." I told her. "And since we're going, that means you're going."

She laughed. "I'll let the guys know and then we'll meet you there."

When she pulled up to the hotel, I got out of the car, said a quick goodbye, and hurried up to my room to get ready.

"It's about time you got here." Trish said as soon as I walked through the door and entered our room. She was on her bed reading a magazine and she didn't even look up to know it was me who walked into the room.

"Well good morning to you, too." I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "Is Austin in the bathroom?"

"Yeah, and Dez in the closet getting ready. Don't ask." She finished before I even had the chance to question why Dez was in the closet getting ready. But I should know that whatever Dez does is normal for him.

Since Austin was in the bathroom and Dez was in the closet, I decided to get ready in the room and pray that none of them would come out before I finished.

It took me three minutes to get ready since I was in a rush and let's just say that I have a new record for changing.

"Ally, your boyfriend stays in the bathroom longer than we do." Trish commented, setting her magazine down and swinging her legs over the bed. I nodded in agreement.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door swung open and out came Austin, fully dressed. "Finally!" Trish and I exclaimed in unison. He raised his hands up in defense.

"Sorry, but it takes time to look this good." He said, gesturing to himself. I rolled my eyes. "So how's your Uncle?" He asked me.

"He's good." He pecked my lips. "Dez, hurry up!" I yelled. The closet door opened a moment later. Finally!

"About time you doofus." Trish said. Even though Trish and Dez are dating, they still argue like children. But they wouldn't be them if they didn't argue.

We hurried out of our room and ran outside where the buses were waiting. We got on the bus that Ms. Brooke was on and she smiled when she saw us.

"You told the guys to meet us there, right?" Austin asked me as we took our seats. I turned to him as the bus started moving.

"Yeah, they should be there already."

We spent the ten minute drive to Storm Valley just talking about anything, and when we arrived, we bolted off the bus. Since the entire junior class was here, it took us a while to find the Lynches. And I'm not even joking, I think everyone was following me, Austin, Dez, and Trish.

After pushing our way through the crowd of juniors, we found our friends, obviously by the half-pipe.

"Hey guys!" We greeted in unison.

"Hey!" They greeted back. "When did you guys get here?" I asked.

"A few minutes ago." Ross answered. "By the way, do you guys want to come over for dinner tonight?"

"And stay the night?" Rydel added, happily. I looked at Austin, Trish, and Dez for an answer. They all nodded.

"Sure." I answered. I walked over to Rydel and pulled her aside. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to the cemetery tomorrow morning so don't worry if you can't find me." She smiled sadly and nodded. We walked back over to the guys just as Riker dropped in.

"Wanna teach me how to snowboard?" Austin asked, smirking. I smiled and nodded.

"Sure, but you're not using the half-pipe." I told him. "Come on." I grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the slopes. Beginners always start there and since Austin's a beginner, he starting there.

"Alright, since you don't have a snowboard, you'll have to use mine." I handed him my snowboard and he sat on his butt so he could strap it to his feet. Once that was done, I helped him up. "You'll also need this." I handed him my helmet and goggles.

"I'm not going to die, am I?" He asked, half-seriously, half-jokingly.

I shrugged. "Probably not." Once he put on the helmet and goggles, I helped him get into position. "Alright, now just bend your knees and push off." I instructed. He nodded and did as told.

I busted out laughing when Austin started tumbling down the hill we were on. I wasn't worried about him because no one ever gets hurt going down the hill. I ran towards him as he was unstrapping his feet from the snowboard.

He stood up. "Well that wasn't pleasant." He said, brushing off the snow that he was covered in. "But now I know how you felt when I was trying to teach you how to surf."

I laughed. "So you want to try again?"

"Honestly? No." He bent down and picked up my snowboard, handing it to me. "I don't get how you guys do this." He asked as we started walking towards the others.

"Well we've been snowboarding since we were little." I told him. "But we didn't get the hang of it right away."

"So you failed just like I did?" He asked hopeful.

I nodded. "Yeah, we did." He cheered, causing me to roll my eyes and laugh. "You're such a dork."

He rolled his eyes and draped his arm over my shoulders. "I think we're both dorks."

I slid my arm around his waist as my snowboard was tucked under my other one. "Yeah, can't argue with that."

When we returned to our friends, I noticed that Ross was using the half-pipe and everyone from our junior class was watching him.

"I'm guessing that teaching Austin how to snowboard didn't go so well since you came back so soon." Rydel commented, chuckling. I nodded and looked at Austin who was playfully glaring at his cousin.

"Shush, Rydel." He laughed.

Ross came running up to us yelling, "WOO!" He dropped his snowboard on the ground and started jumping up and down.

"What's up with you?" Riker asked, giving Ross a strange look.

"Nothing, I'm just in a good mood." He kept jumping up and down, but he slipped and landed on his butt. We all busted out laughing, clutching our stomachs because we were laughing so hard.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Ross muttered, standing up. He was trying to be angry and annoyed, but you could the smile on his face. He eventually joined in on the laughter and even had tears in his eyes since he was laughing so hard.

"Alright," Riker said, wiping under his eyes. "You guys want to head to the lounge?"

We all agreed and hurried towards the lounge. When we got there, Rydel, Trish, and I sat down on the couch while the boys went to get us some hot chocolate.

"You know it's weird that we haven't seen Eric today." Trish commented. I groaned and rolled my eyes.

"Please don't mention him when I'm in a good mood." I told her. She smiled sheepishly and raised her hands up in defense.

I'm just saying." She muttered.

The boys returned with cups of hot chocolate and Austin handed me mine. He took a seat next to me on the couch and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I leaned into his chest and took a sip of my hot chocolate. I seriously love hot chocolate!

"We know!" All my friends exclaimed. Huh?

"Did I say that out loud?" I asked, blushing slightly.

"Yup." Austin said, chuckling. I sunk in my seat a little and brought the cup up to my lips.

"So what do you guys want to do tonight?" Rydel asked.

"We could watch some of our home movies." Riker suggested. I smiled.

"Good idea." I said. "You better have some with, Austin." I giggled, looking at Austin. He started blushing and I think I got my answer.

"Yeah, we do." Ross said. "We also have some with you." He told me. My eyes widened.

"Maybe I'll skip the home movies." I mumbled.

"Oh, you're definitely not missing this." Austin told me. "If I have to watch them then you have to watch them." I groaned and he laughed.

"You're mean." I pouted.

"You know you love me."

"Yeah, yeah."

We spent about an hour at the lounge, just talking and hanging out when we decided to leave. After talking to Mrs. Fields and Ms. Brooke about our arrangements tonight, Rydel and Riker drove us to the hotel so we could pack an overnight bag. Once we did that, we made our way toward the Lynches house.

"To the basement!" Ross shouted as we walked into the house. He ran down to the basement and Riker, Rocky, Ryland, Dez, and Austin followed suit.

"Boys." Rydel, Trish, and I grumbled in unison. We placed our bags on the couch before heading down to the basement.

"Alright, this video from 1998." Riker said, popping in the DVD. 1998 meant that I was three and Jason was six. Riker was six, Rydel was five, Rocky was four, Ross was three, and Ryland was two. As soon as the video started playing, I hot a huge smile on my face. The video was of Rydel's fifth birthday party.

_"Happy birthday, Delly!" We exclaimed as Rydel walked into the house. We were having a surprise party for Rydel and Mark had taken her out that day for some father-daughter time. We all threw confetti at her and she started giggling. _

_I ran over to her and hugged her. "Happy birthday, Delly." My three year old self said. _

I smiled as we watched the home movie. But my smile was wiped off when the camera turned towards my mom. This happened before she passed away.

_"Happy birthday, sweetie." My mom said, hugging Rydel. _

My mom treated Rydel like another daughter so she was really sad when she died. I felt a tear roll down my cheek but I quickly wiped it away in hope that no one would notice. I wasn't so lucky because Austin noticed. He brought me closer to him and I placed my head in the crook of his neck.

_"Riker, get off me!" Five year old Rydel yelled. Riker had her in a headlock and he was giving her a noogie. Riker laughed and released her. _

_"I was just giving you a birthday noogie." Riker laughed. Rydel ran over to me and used me as a shield. _

"You really had to use me as a shield?" I asked, playfully glaring at Rydel. She laughed and nodded.

_"Let's sing happy birthday to Rydel and then we'll have some cake!" Mark exclaimed, clapping his hands together. He hurried over towards the fridge and took out the Hello Kitty birthday cake. He placed it on the table and lit the candles. _

_"Happy birthday too, you! Happy birthday too, you! Happy birthday, Rydel! Happy birthday too, you!" We all sang. She blew out the candles and everyone started clapping. "We love you, Delly!" Stormie said, hugging her daughter. _

We watched the rest of the video was of the party, but when it was set down on a table, it was still recording. Whoever set it down must not have known because it recorded a conversation between my parents.

_"We have to tell her, Penny." My dad said to my mom. They were in the corner of the living room so they were probably having a private conversation._

_"She's only three years old. She won't understand." _

_"What's going to happen when you're gone? She'll be asking questions and how am I supposed to answer them?" My dad placed his hand on my mom's shoulder. It looked like my mom was going to cry. _

_"Just tell her the truth. She's a smart girl for a three year old." My mom chuckled. _

_"Yeah, she is. But no three year old will understand this. She won't understand the fact that you have cancer that you don't want treated." My mom was full on crying once my dad told her this. _

I was crying at this point and luckily Riker took the DVD out. Everyone was looking at me and I just bolted upstairs to Rydel's room.

I slammed the door shut and fell onto the floor, crying. I knew that my mom died from cancer, but I didn't know that she rejected treatments. She could've lived if she did the treatments, but she didn't even try.

There was a soft knock on the door followed by, "Als, let me in." I got off the floor and unlocked the door. I opened it revealing Austin. I immediately ran into his arms and sobbed into his chest. "Shh, Als." He whispered, running his fingers through my hair.

"She could still be alive if she didn't reject treatment!" I cried. He didn't say anything and I was kind of glad. Just having him here helped. He picked me up and carried me to Rydel's bed. He lied down next to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. My head was on his chest and he still ran his fingers through my hair. My crying reduced to sniffles and my eyes were getting heavy.

"Get some sleep, Als." Austin whispered, covering us with the blanket. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer so I let them close. What a day!

**So I have an idea for the next chapter, and let's just say there's a lot of drama. Hope you liked this chapter! :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I've been having writer's block so I couldn't really think of anything. But I've also been working on my other story so that took up some of my time. Not to mention that I have homework so that took up some of my time. **

**But enjoy the chapter!**

Ally POV

"Hey, mom." I greeted my mother's grave. "Happy Birthday."

I woke up at around six in the morning so I could come to the cemetery and see my mom. When I woke up I was still in Austin's arms so I had to be very careful and quiet. Thankfully he's a pretty heavy sleeper.

The video we watched from last night played in my head and I couldn't help but let a few tears sleep.

"Why mom?" I asked, my voice cracking. "Why did you refuse treatment? The treatment could've been successful and you would be alive right now." Tears started streaming down my face but I didn't bother wiping them away.

I started singing a song I wrote for her a few years ago.

_You used to call me your angel_  
_Said I was sent straight down from heaven_  
_You'd hold me close in your arms_

_I loved the way you felt so strong_  
_I never wanted you to leave_  
_I wanted you to stay here holding me_

_I miss you_  
_I miss your smile_  
_And I still shed a tear_  
_Every once in a while_  
_And even though it's different now_  
_You're still here somehow_  
_My heart won't let you go_  
_And I need you to know_  
_I miss you, sha la la la la_  
_I miss you_

_You used to call me your dreamer_  
_And now I'm living out my dream_  
_Oh how I wish you could see_  
_Everything that's happening for me_  
_I'm thinking back on the past_  
_It's true that time is flying by too fast_

_I know you're in a better place, yeah_  
_But I wish that I could see your face, oh_  
_I know you're where you need to be_  
_Even though it's not here with me **(1)**_

Once I stopped singing, I gave a small smile.

"I guess I should get going." I stood up and wiped off any dirt from my jeans. "I love you, mom." I started walking away but stopped when I heard footsteps behind me. I whipped my head around to see who was behind me but no one was there.

I continued walking but kept hearing footsteps behind me. Every time I turned around, no one was there. Just when I thought I was clear, I felt a sharp pain come from the back of my hand followed by darkness.

Austin POV

When I woke up, I noticed that Ally was gone. I figured she was in the living room so I crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom. I showered, brushed my teeth, and changed into skinny jeans, a white V-neck, and blue high tops.

I walked into the living room to be greeted by my friends and family. The only person who wasn't there was Ally.

"Guys, where's Ally?" I asked, somewhat panicking. But only on the inside. I kept my cool on the outside.

"Uh, she's out." Rydel answered. Everyone looked at her waiting for more of an answer. The answer she gave was too vague.

"Delly, where is she?" I asked. We all stared her down but she eventually cracked.

"She's at the cemetery. It's Penny's birthday today." She explained with a frown. The room fell silent and I know nobody wanted to talk. I know how close my cousins were to Ally's mom so I know that today's a hard day for them.

"You think Ally's gonna be okay? Considering the fact that she just found out Penny refused treatment?" Riker asked, quietly.

"I hope so." Ross answered. "I mean I'm still shocked that she refused treatment."

"I think all of us are." Rydel said. We all nodded.

For the next hour, we all just sat around and watched some TV. But during that hour, I was freaking out on the inside. Ally hadn't returned from the cemetery and I was getting really worried. I don't think someone spends an hour at the cemetery, even if they are visiting their mother.

"Guys, shouldn't Ally be back by now?" I asked, my voice shaking. I was really worried if you hadn't noticed.

"How long has she been gone?" Rocky asked Rydel since she knew when she left. Rydel's eyes widened and I knew this wasn't going to be good.

"What time is it?" She asked, panicking. I glanced at the clock and saw that it read 8:13 AM.

"A little past eight." I answered. Her eyes widened even more.

"She left at six." She said, quietly. I swear my heart stopped. That means she's been gone for over two hours.

"WHAT!?" We all exclaimed, bolting off the couch. "Someone call her cell!" I ordered.

"On it." Trish said, whipping out her phone. I watched her as she did so. "Dam it! Went straight to voicemail.

I ran my hand through my hair and tugged at the ends. "This can't be happening." I mumbled to myself.

"Come on, we'll head over to the cemetery and see if she's still there." Riker said, grabbing his coat. We all followed suit and ran out of the house.

When we got there, there was no sign of Ally. My heart was beating out of my chest and my hands were shaking.

"Where the hell is she?" Trish asked, on the verge of tears. Everyone was silent but I think we all knew what happened.

"Eric." We all said in unison. I would've laughed since it was creepy how we did that, but it wasn't the time.

"That son of a bitch took her, I know he did!" I yelled, my eyes brimming with tears. She could be badly hurt for all I knew.

"Austin," Rydel said, placing her hands on my shoulders. "We'll find her, I promise. But you getting angry won't help us find her. You need to calm down, okay?" I nodded and she brought me into a well needed hug. We will find you, Ally.

Ally POV

I opened my eyes and analyzed my surroundings. From what I saw, it looked like I was in a basement since there was carpeting, a television, and a couch. But there were no windows. I moved myself into a sitting position and looked down at my hands that were bound together by rope. Want to know I how I know? The idiot who took me tied my hands together in the front.

"Look who's awake." The man said, coming downstairs.

"Why am I not surprised?" I asked as I saw his face. "I hope you know that you're insane, Eric."

"Why would you say that?" He smirked.

"Oh, let's see. You basically stalk me, you tried to rape me, and you freakin' KIDNAPPED ME!" I yelled the last part. He squatted in front of me and grabbed my face.

"Don't ever talk to me like that, bitch."

"Or else what?" I asked through gritted teeth. He let go of my face and slapped me. My cheek stung with the force of the slap, but I didn't make a sound.

"Now you better shut your mouth or else you'll get more than a slap." He stood up and smiled. "I'm going out for a couple of hours. Don't move. Not like you have a choice." He walked up the steps and left the basement. Once I heard the door close, I started working on the rope that was tied around me wrist.

"He's probably the worst kidnapper ever." I said aloud as I removed the rope. I was about to run upstairs when I heard a voice. A voice that was all too familiar. I walked towards the closet where I heard the voice and slowly opened the door.

I gasped when I saw her. "Jamie?" She was tied up like I was, except her hands were tied behind her back. I got a closer look at her face and noticed quite a few scrapes and bruises.

"Are you okay?" I asked, helping her up. She nodded and brought me into an unexpected hug. After I got over the shock, I hugged back. "We have to get out of here, let's go." I grabbed her hand and we bolted up the steps. But of course, the door was locked.

"We have to kick it if we want to get out." She stated. I nodded in agreement.

"On three. One, two, three." On three, we kicked the door at the same time and there was enough force to bust it open. "Do you know where we are?" I asked.

"Yeah, Eric's house. Or technically his Aunt's house."

"Wow, he really is the worst kidnapper ever. Who uses their own house as a hideout for kidnapped girls?"

"I don't know, but could we get out of here before he gets back?" She asked, angry and annoyed. I knew that Eric's Aunt's house was right across the street from the Lynches so I could only pray that they were home.

We ran out of the house and I dragged Jamie towards the Lynches house. The door opened as the soon as the handle turned and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw everyone in the living room.

"Ally!" Everyone yelled, running over towards me. Austin wrapped me in a hug and I melted into it. "What happened?" He whispered in my ear. I pulled away and looked at everyone.

"We need to call the cops now." I said, my anger growing.

"We already did. They're out looking for you." Rydel explained.

"But can you tell us what the hell happened?" Riker asked.

"I was on my way home from the cemetery when I got knocked out. I woke up in Eric's basement, my hands tied up. I was able to free myself and as I was about to get out of there, I heard something coming from the closet. I opened it and there was Jamie." I explained, pointing to Jamie. Everyone was silent for a moment until Trish spoke up.

"I'm gonna fucking ring his neck!" She yelled. I couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Where is he, by the way?" Ross asked.

"I have no clue. He said he was going out for a couple of hours." I told him.

"Alright, let's head over to the police station." Riker said.

"I don't think all of us should go." Ryland said. "Ally and Jamie obviously have to go, but I think Austin, Rydel, and Riker should go with them." I looked at the others for approval to what Ryland just said and they all nodded.

"Alright, I'm driving. Let's go." Riker announced.

We walked out of the house and got into Riker's car. Jamie sat in the front while Austin, Rydel, and I sat in the back. During the car ride, we stayed silent but Austin would kiss the top of my head occasionally. It was honestly comforting.

When we walked into the police station, I saw Mary right away. She noticed me as well and ran right over to me, engulfing me in a hug.

"I thought you were missing? What happened?" She asked, frantic.

"How much time do you have?" I asked.

* * *

Jamie and I spent the next few hours in the interrogation talking about what happened. Of course I didn't know what happened to Jamie, but from what she explained, she got it worse than I did.

"Alright, we put out an APB on Eric, but for the meantime, I don't want you girls going anywhere without supervision." Mary told us. I looked at her like she was crazy but the look on her face told me she was serious.

"Really, Mary?" I asked.

"Yes, Ally. Really. I care about you and I don't want you getting hurt. Apparently Eric is dangerous so we don't know what he is exactly capable of. He managed to kidnap you girls so he's possibly capable of much worst." I sighed and leaned back in my chair.

"Please tell me once you arrest Eric that he'll be going away for a long time?" Jamie asked. Mary nodded.

"He won't get away from us this time."

We were eventually allowed to leave the police station, but we dropped Jamie off at her house before going back to the Lynches. I knew we had to go back to the hotel, but I didn't want to.

"Guys, we have to head back to the hotel or else Ms. Brooks and Mrs. Fields will be pissed at us." Trish said, walking into Rydel's room with Dez. Austin and I were lying on the bed just relaxing from this awful day.

"I don't want to." I mumbled into his chest. He sat up, bringing me with him.

"I know you don't, but we're still on a school trip so we don't really have a choice." Austin said, kissing my forehead. I sighed.

"Fine."

We spent the next thirty minutes gathering our belongings and before I knew it, we were back at the hotel, in our room.

"Today sucked ass." I said aloud as I lied in bed and stared at the ceiling.

"You would think that you would be a bit more sad and upset since you were kidnapped." Dez said. I sat up and glared at him.

"Dude, you're an idiot." Austin told his best friend. "It's a good thing that she's not sad and upset."

"Yeah, and you're so lucky I'm too lazy to move at the moment or else I'd hit you." I told him. He shrunk on the couch that he was sitting and I smirked. I lied back down on the bed and sighed.

I really want this trip to be over.

**(1) Don't own the song from Miley Cyrus.**

**What did you think of the chapter? Review it up! I'm so close to 200! Do you think we could reach 200 for this chapter? :)**


	22. Chapter 22

Ally POV

"Als, wake up." I heard a voice above whisper. I groaned and snuggled more under the covers. "Don't make me do this." The voice said. I recognized that voice as Austin but I was too tired to actually wonder what he was going to do.

"Let me sleep." I murmured. Suddenly the covers were ripped off me and I was hit with a cool breeze. I sat up and glared at my boyfriend.

"What the hell, Austin?" I asked, sending daggers towards him. He chuckled and raised his hands up.

"Sorry, but you would've missed breakfast if you didn't get up. You're welcome." I groaned and climbed out of bed. I dragged my tired body to the bathroom and got ready for the day.

The only reason I was so tired was because I was up half the night tossing and turning. I tried not to think about the whole kidnapping thing, but I couldn't help it. Sure Eric was a horrible kidnapper, but the fact that he actually kidnapped me was scary. I never knew Eric was this crazy.

I walked out of the bathroom, wearing blue skinny jeans, one of Austin's sweatshirts, and my blue converses. I was not about to go to Storm Valley today. Now while Eric was still out there.

"Where's Trish and Dez?" I asked, just realizing that they weren't in the room.

"There in the dining hall with the rest of the class." Austin told me. "And I should warn you about something."

"What?" I asked, nervous and annoyed.

"You and Jamie were on the news." He said quickly. I gaped at him and groaned. "They were talking about Eric and how there's an APB out for him. They mentioned the two of you since he kidnapped you guys." I flinched when he said 'kidnapped.'

"You know I thought coming to Colorado would be fun. But no. Eric just had to ruin this trip." I ran my hand through my hair and pulled a few strands out. "I fucking hate him!" I could feel the tears form in my eyes and Austin must have noticed because he enveloped me in a warm, comforting hug.

"Shh, Als, it's alright." He ran his fingers through my hair with one hand while the other hand rubbed circles on my back. "I'm so sorry about all this."

"You have nothing to apologize for." I mumbled against his chest. "I made the mistake of dating the douche." He pulled away from the hug and held me at arm's length.

"You didn't know that Eric would turn out like this while you dated. Please don't blame yourself for all this." I stayed silent and looked at the ground. He put a finger under my chin and lifted it, making me look at him. "Please?" He begged. I let a few tears slip as I nodded.

"I love you." I whispered, my lip quivering.

"I love you, too." His own voice was shaking as he let a tear slip. He cupped my face and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"Do you think we could spend the day together after breakfast? Just you and me?" I asked, giving a small smile. He nodded and kissed my forehead.

"We can do whatever you want. Now come on." He grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers together. We walked out of the room and made our way towards the elevator.

When we got out of the elevator and entered the dining hall, all eyes were on us. Or should I say me? Damn news! Austin and I sat down at the table that Trish and Dez were sitting at as well as Alice, Jennifer, Mark, and John.

"Before you guys say anything, I would really appreciate it if we didn't talk about the kidnapping." I said as soon as the guys opened their mouths to talk. They immediately closed their mouths and nodded.

"I'll go get us some breakfast." Austin said, pecking my cheek. Since it was a breakfast buffet, there was going to be a lot of pancakes on his plate. Hopefully he would save some for the rest of us.

"So are you snowboarding today?" Trish asked, taking a bite out of her omelet. I shook my head.

"Austin and I are just gonna hangout today. I'm not in the mood to snowboard. Besides, the Lynches probably want a day to relax." She nodded. "So what have you guys been doing?" I asked the four individuals who were seated across from me.

"We've actually taking ski lessons." Alice explained, gesturing to herself and Jennifer. "Mark and John have been taking snowboarding lessons."

"Which is not going well." Mark added. John nodded in agreement.

"Seriously, how do you do it?" John asked.

"I've been snowboarding since I was little so I've had a lot of practice."

Austin returned with two plates full of pancakes and eggs and my mouth practically started watering when he placed it in front of me.

"Thanks, Austin."

"No problem." He kissed my cheek and started digging in. A few minutes into eating my breakfast, I heard my name being called. When I turned to where I heard my name being called, my eyes widened when I saw Jake running towards me. I quickly got up and walked towards him.

"You were kidnapped!?" Was the first thing that came out of his mouth. We were still in the dining hall so everyone was able to hear this conversation.

"I'm well aware, thank you very much." I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice. He rolled his eyes and pulled me in for a hug. We stayed like that for a few seconds before he pulled away.

"Are you okay?" He asked, softly. I nodded.

"I'll be better when they find Eric. I just want this all to end."

"That goes for both of us, Als." We talked for a few more minutes before he had to leave. I walked back over to the table and grabbed my cup of water, bringing it to my lips.

"Who was that?" Jennifer asked, breaking the silence.

"My cousin, Jake." I answered, taking a bite out of my breakfast.

After breakfast ended, we all dispersed and went in our way direction. Trish and Dez went to Storm Valley so they could go the lounge while Austin and I went back to our hotel room.

"Can we turn on the news?" I asked as we got comfortable on the bed and turned on the TV. Austin nodded and did just that.

I smiled widely when I heard the news anchor report this.

_Seventeen year old Eric Collins was found hiding behind a liquor store, only ten minutes away from the house where he held two girls captive. He was highly intoxicated when approached by police and even tried to escape their grasp. He failed and was taken into custody. According to Officer Jenkins, one of the officers on the scene, Eric was intoxicated to the point where he confessed to being the cause of a hit and run that injured Daniel Dawson, the uncle of Allyson Dawson, who happened to be one of the girls Collins kidnapped. _

I grabbed the remote and quickly shut the TV.

"Als," Austin said, softly. He was probably afraid I would burst into tears or scream at the top of my lungs.

"I-I'm f-fine." I stuttered. "I mean I'm happy that he was arrested, but I'm shocked that he was the one responsible for causing my uncle's accident."

"Just be glad that all of this is over." I smiled when he said that. I turned to him and kissed his cheek.

"Come on." I said, getting out of bed and grabbing my coat.

"Where are we going?" He asked, an amused look on his face. He grabbed his coat and slipped it on.

"We're going over to your cousin's house to tell them the good news. I know they didn't watch the news since they never do."

"Okay, but how are we getting there?"

"We'll take a cab."

And that's exactly what we did. When we got to their house, I noticed Stormie's car in the driveway. We knocked on the door and waited for an answer. When she opened it, she smiled and hugged us.

"I just saw the news, Ally. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm just glad he's out of my life." She smiled. "So where is everyone?"

"The basement. Go on ahead."

"Thanks Aunt Stormie." Austin thanked as we walked towards the basement.

"Let's scare them." I whispered as we opened the door. He smiled and nodded.

We quietly walked down the stairs so we wouldn't make any noise. All the Lynches were sitting on the couch, watching a movie, and it just so happened to be a horror movie. The lights were off so it was pretty hard to see.

"Ready?" I mouthed to Austin. He nodded. We both counted to three under our breath and, "AHHH!"

"AHHH!" They all screamed back jumping off the couch. Austin and I fell onto the floor, clutching our stomachs from laughing so hard.

"You guys suck!" Ross screamed, holding onto Rocky. That only made us laugh harder.

"Okay, enough with the laughing. Why are you guys here?" Rydel asked. We both got off the floor and wiped away the tears that were caused by our laughter.

"Eric was arrested!" I exclaimed, jumping up and down. All their mouths dropped but they soon smiled and started jumping up and down with me.

"This is awesome!" Rydel squealed, hugging me.

"It's finally over!" Riker exclaimed, high-fiving Rocky, Ross, and Ryland.

Maybe I can enjoy the last couple of days in Colorado.

**So I know this was a shorter chapter, but I thought this was a good place to end. And I'm ending this story in maybe 1 or 2 chapters. Review it up! Love ya! **


End file.
